


𝐿𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝐵𝑒 [ Kei Tsukishima x Reader ]

by Cutesight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fanfiction, Jealous Tsukishima Kei, Love Triangles, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:41:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 48,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cutesight/pseuds/Cutesight
Summary: "Ｉ ｄｏｎ＇ｔ ｓｅｅ ｙｏｕ ａｓ ａ ｇｉｒｌ．"- - - -Y/N is close friends with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi since elementary. It makes complete sense that she is doomed to fall in love with one of them.That one being Tsukishima Kei.The only problem is-- Y/N isn't the only one who feels the same way about Tsukishima.- - - -I *do not* give anyone any permission to translate, create videos, or republish my work. I have all rights to my stories and would appreciate everyone to enjoy them on the platforms I post these stories on. These stories are free and I don't feel comfortable knowing others are making money off of them. (｡•́︿•̀｡)If you see my work anywhere else other than Wattpad and AO3, just know I did not give them any permission.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Comments: 11
Kudos: 47





	1. F/ck you, Kei.

"I can't believe we're third years now." Yamaguchi stares at the bright blue sky above him, a warm smile on his face with his arms folded behind his head. Tsukishima rustles against the grass between Yamaguchi and you. "Yeah." Tsukishima answers with a single word, his golden brown eyes watch the clouds lazily. 

_You are still upset from this morning._

The previous years you were lucky enough to share a class with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. But this year you're located in a class next to them. Sitting upright, you grab a handful of grass, tossing the shreds at the two. 

"This is so unfair. Why am I the only one singled out from the two of you." Your brows furrow together and a frown is plastered over your face. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima turn their eyes towards you, both wearing mixed emotions. Yamaguchi frowns while Tsukishima glares. 

"You're still whining about that?" Tsukishima clicks his tongue, grabbing a handful of grass and tossing it back at you. You swiftly block the attack with your arms. "Yes!" You cry out, a pout forms on your face when you turn your attention towards the track field. "Instead of seeing you and Tadashi..." You eye a specific duo, Kageyama and Hinata. Seeing the two makes you frustrated, crossing your arms, your words fall into silence. 

"You'll get over it Y/N." Tsukishima slowly sits up, he looks at you from the corner of his eyes. Yamaguchi sits up as well, he tries to muster up a few comforting words to you. "Maybe with us not around, you'll finally have a chance of a confession." Yamaguchi smiles when you look over to him. 

"A what?" You blurt out. 

Tsukishima scoffs at the idea, a deep chuckle erupting from his throat. "Who would see Y/N as a potential girlfriend?" His golden eyes look you up and down. "She has no sex appeal." 

Your eyes widen from Tsukishima's words. 

_Did he just say you're not attractive?_

"T-Tsukki!!" Yamaguchi's face clouds with shock and anxiety when he notices your contorted expression. "You know how emotional Y/N gets when you talk about her appearance." Tsukishima smirks at you, a glimmer in his eyes.

_He's purposely making fun of you._

"Fuck you Kei." Your hands close into tight fists, you steady yourself up. "I'll see you losers after school." Biting your lower lip, you feel the heat in your face and the corner of your eyes brimming tears. Yamaguchi notices the hurt in Y/N's face when he watches her run down the hill. He turns his attention over to Tsukishima who lays back down on the grass, raising his headphones over his ear. 

"Tsukki, you know she doesn't like it when you comment on her appearance. Why'd you do that?" Yamaguchi lowers his eyes down to Tsukishima's face.

Tsukishima remains quiet, not answering Yamaguchi's question. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

You stare at your reflection in the bathroom. Your eyes waver when you look at yourself. You lower your eyes down to stare at your body. The color in your face drains when you recall an old memory, a memory you've forced yourself to not think about. You find yourself having trouble breathing, faint screams of terror echoing in your ears. Your hands fly towards your ears, wanting to cover the sound but it's all mental and not physical. You squeeze your eyes shut, tears staining your face.

The bathroom door cracks open, a student steps inside and notices you in a panic. 

"H-HEY Y/L/N!" The student shouts out towards you, squatting down beside you. The touch of their hand on your back pulls you out of your frenzy. Your eyes flutter open and the blonde haired student sees the horror in your eyes. 

"Y-Yachi." You stutter out her name, lowering your hands from your ears to around her neck. Yachi yelps quietly from the sudden hug, her hand rubs in circular motions on your back. "Is everything okay? What are you doing in the bathroom like this?" Yachi's sweet voice slowly suppresses the constant screams in your mind. 

You couldn't tell her the truth. No one knew the truth about your constant nightmare.

**Not even Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.**

The memory happened long before you were friends with them.

Shaking your head against Yachi's shoulder, you spit out a lie. "I think it's finally hitting me that we're going to be adults after graduation." 

Yachi hugs you tighter, a small smile on her face. "Don't think about those things on the first day Y/L/N. We have months ahead of us before we can worry about that." 

Slowly pulling away from Yachi, you wipe your tears and thank her for comforting you. "I should head back to class before lunch ends." Yachi helps you up and you say your farewells, exiting out of the bathroom. You halt yourself when you see Tsukishima and Yamaguchi walking towards your general area. You debated whether or not to hide back in the bathroom but their eyes pull towards you. Yamaguchi notices Y/N's redden nose and eyes, he then looks at the bathroom door behind her. "Did you just hide in the bathroom to cry Y/N?" Yamaguchi's brows furrow together, a frown on his face. Tsukishima's lips faintly twitch, the crease of his brows almost knitting together. 

"Yeah. Not like Kei cares." Your eyes move away from Yamaguchi's to Tsukishima's. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm just being overemotional like always." Mumbling, you brush past Tsukishima, walking towards your homeroom. 

"Ah..." Yamaguchi holds back his tongue from calling after Y/N. Tsukishima stops himself from turning around, he hides his tight fists in his pockets, walking ahead. Yamaguchi silently follows next to Tsukishima, a worried look on his face. "Do you really not care Tsukki?"

"She'll be fine." Tsukishima answers curtly. "We joke like this all the time." 

"Well, yeah...but you know she always react strongly when it comes to her appearance." Yamaguchi murmurs, his lips pursing. "Aren't all girls?" Tsukishima speaks without a care, sitting down in his seat by the window. Yamaguchi shakes his head, exhaling when he sits down in the desk next to Tsukishima. "I always wonder how Y/N manages to stand up to your sharp tongue sometimes." 

Tsukishima remains silent, his eyes blankly stare out of the window.

_He didn't know either._


	2. Forbidden emotions & addictions

"Y/L/N~ Why are you so gloomy?" Hinata pesters you in the middle of class, whispering loudly and poking you with the eraser part of his pencil against your shoulder. You softly grumble in your arms, your arms folded on your desk and your face hidden. "Leave me alone Hinata." Your voice faintly audible to Hinata's ears. A solid object hits you gently on the top of your head. Kageyama with his extended arm, slaps his notebook against your head.

_How did you end up sitting between two idiots._

You'll be stuck between these two for the entire year. 

"Your sour attitude is ruining my focus." Kageyama says between clench teeth. "I don't know how. I'm not even talking to you Kageyama." Slowly raising your head, you turn to look at him. His dark blue eyes glare at you. "You're giving off this gloomy atmosphere near me. I prefer it when you're yelling at Hinata and I." Kageyama grumbles, pulling his outstretch arm back and opening his notebook back to the page he was writing on. 

Sighing, you lean your back against your seat, your eyes staring at the ceiling. "I don't have the energy."

"Are you still upset about being in a class with Kageyama and I? We're a much better duo than Tsukishima and Yamaguchi." Hinata grins, raising a thumbs up towards you. 

The teacher overhears Hinata's voice, turning his attention to the three of you. "Y/L/N, Hinata, and Kageyama. Are you three already asking for a penalty on the first day of school?" Kageyama and you both stare daggers at Hinata. His loud mouth already causing the three of you trouble. The three of you in unison speak up. "No, sir." 

"Than be quiet and focus on your classwork." Watching your teacher turn around and scribble against the blackboard, you send one last piercing stare towards Hinata. He whispers a sorry to which you roll your eyes to. Sitting straight, you grab your pencil next to your notebook and begin to focus on the lecture.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

The final bell rings, brimming a smile on your face. "Finally." You mumble to yourself, sliding your belongings into your school bag and pushing your chair out to exit. "Have a good practice, losers." You say your farewells to Kageyama and Hinata who are slowly getting out of their seats. Kageyama shakes his head, "She has mood swings." 

"But you prefer her like this, right Kageyama?" Hinata teases, grinning from ear to ear. Kageyama forms his lips into a thin line, brows knitting together. "Doesn't matter to me. She's just as irritating as Tsukishima." Kageyama gets up and walks past Hinata. "Last one to the gym has to buy meat buns." Kageyama starts to run after finishing his sentence, leaving Hinata behind.

"WAIT. KAGEYAMA YOU CHEATER!" Hinata fumbles out of his seat, his chair making a loud screeching noise when he hurries after Kageyama. 

You run past Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, the two barely noticing your speeding blur. "Y/N?" Yamaguchi calls out to you, your feet halt into a stop. You walk backwards towards the two and glance over at them. "Are you heading home?" Yamaguchi notices your urgency to leave the school. "Yeah, there's no reason for me to stick around here. You two are going to the gym, right? Make sure to not scare any first years." Your warning is geared more towards Tsukishima, who isn't making eye contact with you.

"Should we walk you home?" Yamaguchi turns his body direction to match yours but you place your hands on his shoulders, forcing him back around. 

"I'll be fine. Like Kei said, I'm not attractive so no one should make a move on me." You speak sarcastically. "I'm just heading straight home until my it's my shift at the restaurant later tonight." Tsukishima's brows twitch slightly from your words. You know full well that your words are making him feel guilty. Before Yamaguchi can say another word, you dash off. 

"Ugh, she never listens to anyone." Yamaguchi droops his shoulders, watching Y/N's figure turn small. 

"Let her be. She's always been that way." Tsukishima curtly says, adjusting his glasses and continuing his walk towards the gym. 

Yamaguchi quietly observes Tsukishima. For as long as he can remember, he's always been the peacekeeper between Tsukishima and Y/N. Whenever the two would have a disagreement, Yamaguchi finds himself stuck in the middle, not wanting to pick a side to back up. Tsukishima and Y/N will quarrel a lot which left Yamaguchi sticking closer to Tsukishima because of Y/N's constant reaction to run away from her problems. 

Over time his love for Tsukishima bloomed. Yamaguchi always finds himself looking for Tsukishima within the crowd. He didn't understand his feelings at first and pushed it off as an overly friendship kind of love. These feelings of loving the same sex was looked down upon and Yamaguchi thought these emotions of his were just confused. But he never felt this way when he looked at a girl. 

The feeling of excitement when he sees Tsukishima every morning. Or how thankful he is for their close bond. There were times where Yamaguchi would feel jealous if Tsukishima treated someone with the slightest kindness. He gets especially jealous when Y/N is around. But finding himself to hate Y/N is much worse. The three are childhood friends after all.

"You're being really quiet." Tsukishima looks at Yamaguchi from the corner of his eyes, noticing Yamaguchi's distant expression. "Are you worried about Y/N?" Yamaguchi pulls himself away from his thoughts, looking over to Tsukishima. Not wanting to tell Tsukishima the truth, Yamaguchi lies and nods his head. "She's a troublesome girl. Why wouldn't I be worried?" A small smile forms on Yamaguchi's freckled face. "You could go after her, Tadashi." Tsukishima steps foot into the gym, sliding off his backpack. 

**No.**

_Yamaguchi wanted nothing more than to be next to Tsukishima._

Yamaguchi takes his backpack off his shoulders, lowering it against the wall. "I'm sure she'll be okay." 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"I'm home." You whisper into the empty home. Your eyes stare at the glass bottles that litter the floor, the smell of alcohol reeks the one floor house. Exhaling, you bend over to pick up the stray bottles. You find your dad sleeping under the kotatsu in the living room. A sad smile forms on your face when you notice how exhausted he must've been. Carefully, you stroke your fathers hair. "Y/N?" Your dad mumbles your name aloud, his eyes flutter opening. Slowly, you pull your hand away and form a grumpy expression when he looks up at you. 

"Didn't you tell me you'll stop drinking last week?" You raise the four beer bottles up to show your sleepy dad. Dad frowns and rolls over on his side, acting like a child despite being the adult. "I had a rough day at work." 

Your eyes lower to the back patches on his back. Dad worked as a construction worker during the night so he would be able to see you during the day. He would sleep when you went off to school. Your trembling hands touch the patches on his back, biting your lower lip to hold back the wavering tears. "Couldn't you pick up another addiction like eating weird flavored things or something?" You whisper softly. "I don't want to lose you dad." Your voice cracks and your dad turns around to see your trickling tears. His large calloused hands reach towards your face, the rough skin of his thumb wipes away your tears. 

"Hey." Dad makes a shushing sound with his lips. "I didn't mean to make you cry Y/N. I can't promise that I'll drop alcohol just like that but I'll keep it to a minimum of one." 

"One a month." You whimper out. Dad smiles weakly at your suggestion, his brows furrow together. "One a day?" He questioningly speaks.

Sighing, you brush your dads hands away. "You're so hopeless dad." Sniffling, you faintly giggle to lighten the mood. "I'm going to get changed." 

"Are you working tonight?" Dad slowly sits up, watching Y/N walk down the hallway towards her bedroom. He sees her nodding her head. "I'll make something for you before you go in then." Dad calls out from the living room, you click your bedroom door closed. Your eyes glance at the picture of your dad and you that hangs above your vanity. 

Dad's alcohol problem didn't begin until the day he divorced your mother. The person who you feared the most. 


	3. Past trauma

** Years prior: Y/N at age four **

You are quietly sitting next to the low table in the living room, a crayon in hand while you draw, listening to the night summer cicadas. The faint sound of the television plays in the background and the sound of the knife against a cutting board. Mom is preparing dinner before dad came home just like any other night.

**But this night specifically, something is off about her.**

Not just this night but the entire day after dad left for work. She didn't tend to you like she usually did. A darkness loomed over her.

Wanting to cheer her up, you decide to draw a picture of the family for her. A smile on your face as you focus extremely hard. Finishing the drawing by adding smiling faces on the three blobs you called your mom, dad, and you, you lower the crayon on the wooden table. Standing up from your seat on the floor, you hurry over to your mom. Your small hand tugs onto her dress, "Mama, look. I made this for you." Your high pitch voice calls out to her.

Instead of the smiling face you expected, you're met with a dark looming stare. Your heart rate quickens when you see the horrified expression your mother makes at you. Her hollow eyes lack any sign of life to them.

"Mama?" You nervously say, the drawing slips out of your hand when you see her turn around, the knife still in her hand. She mutters something you're unable to hear. She repeats the words as if she's chanting. You take a step back, sensing something dangerous in front of you. The person in front of you looks like your mother but she's giving off a threatening aura. She takes a step closer to you and you're in ear shot of her trembling words.

"It's all your fault." Mom repeats these words several times and you're in utter shock.

_Why are you at fault? Did you do something to make her upset?_

Paralyzed by her words, you notice too late that she raises her hand that carries the knife. Mom loses her mind and slashes the knife against your abdomen. You scream in pain, falling over on your butt, feet kicking back to get away from her. The cut isn't deep but the pain hurts nonetheless. "MAMA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" You cry out, tears littering your face while the blood seeps through your white dress.

"YOU'RE THE REASON WHY I FEEL THIS MISERABLE." Mom raises the knife again, grabbing hold of your leg and dragging you back to her. She cuts against your abdomen again, the cut much deeper than the first one. Your scream pierces through the television that's faintly playing in the living room. The amount of blood that pours out of you is overwhelming and the only thing you can do is stare at the frightening face your mother makes towards you. "I SHOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO YOU. I LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF YOU."

Those words echo through your mind and your only response it to continue screaming. You scream for your dad but your shrieks only upset your mom further. Her knife cutting against your skin.

The sound of the door busting opens stops your moms shaking hand. Dad stares at the scene before him, the color in his face pales over and he runs over to your side. Mom drops her knife and the hollowness in her eyes snaps away.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO Y/N?!" Dad screams at mom in fear. He holds you up with one hand while dialing for an ambulance with his other hand. Your mom stands there in utter shock, her eyes wide and her bloodied hands cover her mouth. "I SWEAR IF SHE DIES..." The glare on dad's face is something you won't forget.

You were luckily admitted into the hospital in time before losing too much blood. But you were bedridden for a few months to recuperate. During those months, dad filed divorce papers and mom was sent to a psychiatric hospital. The doctors ruled her behavior off as "baby blues" which made no sense. But dad figured they were being considerate by holding off the much harsher reality. He struggled to take care of you after you were discharged from the hospital and you spent many days being watched after by your relatives until your father came to pick you up after work. The nightmares of the incident with your mom haunted you for two years until you were old enough to attend elementary school, the time where you met Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

The three of you were always alone and never spoken to by your other classmates. You never knew why. Tsukishima was the one to befriend Yamaguchi after telling off a few bullies for making fun of Yamaguchi's freckles.

"Do you guys have nothing else better to do?" Tsukishima calls out to the three boys who crowd over Yamaguchi.

"Shut your mouth, four eyes!" A heavy set boy clenches his hands into a fist, barking out at Tsukishima.

"What if I don't?" Tsukishima growls out, standing in a position as if he's going to fight. The heavy set student, throws a punch at Tsukishima, which Tsukishima easily dodges from his quick reaction time. This only angers the student and he calls out to his friends that are pinning Yamaguchi against the sand of the playground. The two other students release Yamaguchi, rushing over to throw their own fists towards Tsukishima.

Tsukishima easily dodges one but the other hits directly in his face, knocking his glasses off the bridge of his nose. You overhear a commotion while sitting on the swings. Yamaguchi lunges at one of the students, holding them back from punching Tsukishima. But that leaves the other two students with free aim towards the vulnerable Tsukishima. He frantically tries to find his glasses in the sand. Your mind tells you to tell a teacher.

Violence frightened you and you wanted nothing to do with the fight that's happening near you. Getting off the swing, you plan to rush off towards a teacher but your small feet makes you run over towards the bullies.

"H-HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING." You cry out, eyes wavering and your body litters with anxiety.

The two students turn to look over at you, forgetting about Tsukishima briefly. "What do you want weirdo?!" The heavy set student takes a step toward you, your legs start to feel like jello. "You're just as weird as these two. Why are you always wearing a sweater and pants in the summer?" His booming voice echoes in your ear and the corner of your eyes start to well up. The second boy walks over to you, smirking. "Look, she's going to cry. Weren't you just being brave earlier?"

Your only reaction is to scream as loud as you can to get a teacher's attention. The two boys cover their ears, your scream a horrible screech. Thankfully your teacher is pulled away from their conversation with another teacher and she hurries over to your side. The students scatter away long before the teacher catches sight of their faces.

"W-What's wrong Y/L/N? Are you hurt somewhere?" Your teacher looks over at you frantically. She's been informed about your trauma with your mom from your dad. Hiding your face with your arms, you sob. Yamaguchi notices the black rimmed glasses in front of him and he dusts off the sand before handing it over to Tsukishima. "Your glasses..." Yamaguchi whispers towards Tsukishima who's on his knees in the sand.

Seeing his glasses outstretched before him, Tsukishima takes the glasses from Yamaguchi, sliding them on his face.

Yamaguchi's cheeks tinge a soft pink, his eyes nervously looking at Tsukishima. "Thank you...for sticking up for me."

Tsukishima nods his head, turning his attention over to Y/L/N. Yamaguchi follows Tsukishima's line of sight. "Oh, we should thank her too. She made them run away."

"Y/L/N, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." The teacher frowns when she crouches down in front of you.

"M-Mam." Yamaguchi calls out to the teacher, her eyes pull away from Y/L/N to look next to her. "She's crying because of these three bullies. They were picking a fight on the three of us." The teacher's eyes widen in shock.

"Three students were bullying the three of you? What did they look like? I can't have this happening. I'll make sure to scold them." She stands up and furrows her brows together. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima give her a brief description of the students and she hurries off to look for the three boys.

"Thank you for distracting them." An unfamiliar voice speaks towards you. "Yeah, thanks for helping us." Yamaguchi comments after Tsukishima.

Lowering your arm down from your face, you sniffle and wipe your tears. You flutter your eyelashes to clear your vision to see a boy with freckles and another with glasses.

Yamaguchi purses his lips, staring at you and Tsukishima. "Should we call ourselves the weirdos?" He suggests a silly name to cheer you up. Your frown deepens when you hear him say the word 'weirdo'. Yamaguchi quickly backtracks. "A-Actually, that's stupid. Um, should we be friends then?" Tsukishima shrugs, not particularly caring. "Sure. My name is Tsukishima Kei." Yamaguchi smiles when he hears Tsukishima introduce himself.

"I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi." The two look over to you expectantly, awaiting your introduction. "Y/L/N Y/N" You say between wiping your loose tears.

From that day forward the three of you stuck together. Neither of them questioned why you covered yourself head to toe in the blazing heat of summer. But one day when your sleeves were lifted a bit too high, Tsukishima notices the scars on your arms. You make up a quick lie saying your neighbors dog scratched your arm when you were playing too roughly. The lie seemed believable at the time when the two would walk you home, passing by the loud barking dog next door.


	4. I already have someone I like.

After eating dinner with dad, you spend the remaining time on homework before getting up to change into your work uniform. You picked up a job last year to help your dad with some of the expenses in the house, which is everything but the rent and electric. Dad was against you working but you saw how tired he was becoming from the long nights. He's only getting older, so working as a construction worker is taking a harsher toll on his body. You timidly look at your abdomen in the mirror, trembling fingers brushing against the scar that's on your skin. This scar haunts you and reminds you of the events of the night you fear the most. You are too embarrassed to wear anything revealing your abdomen because of it. Narrowing your eyes, you toss on a black tee, a pair of jeans, and an apron around your waist. You walk over to your vanity and messily toss your hair into a bun, tying a ribbon around it. 

You worked late nights at a yakitori restaurant. The time usually passes quickly because of the patrons who are getting off work, wanting a quick bite before they head home. A few nights there will be a group of rowdy drunks but you had the nerves to handle them. You had an amazing boss who would help you with those patrons also. 

_Takinoue Yūsuke, a former volleyball player for Karasuno High way back in the years._

He's also a close friend of Coach Ukai. So you would frequently see the volleyball team stop in for a bite after practice.

"Y/N, you're going to be late!" Dad calls out to you from the living room. He slides both feet into his steel toe boots.

You hurry out of your chair and open your bedroom door, rushing over to the foyer to put your shoes on and to kiss your dad on the cheek. "Thanks dad! Stay safe." Yelling out to your dad, you raise a hand to say goodbye, hopping onto your bicycle and cycling down the street in a hurry. 

Dad watches Y/N disappear, a low chuckle rumbling from his throat. He locks the door behind him and steps into his car, heading off to his designated area.

After a ten minute bike ride; you halt in the back of the yakitori restaurant, leaning your bike against the exterior of the small restaurant. 

"Yūsuke!" You call out for your flirtatious boss. He's in the front of the restaurant, turning the lights on for the opening. This particular yakitori restaurant only opens during the night from 6pm to 2am. Serving only chicken yakitori and drinks. 

"Y/N!" He mimics your call, a grin on his face when he turns around. His large hand rests on your head. "How was your first day back, upperclassman?" Takinoue teases you. You brush his hand away, walking over to the fridge to grab the bins of marinated chicken out.

Takinoue doesn't act his age, 29. The two of you an 11 year age difference.

You expected a mature boss but you're given a flirtatious boss who treats you like a little sister. 

"Horrible." You flatly say, opening the lid of one of the bins. Takinoue extends his hand towards the shelves above you and hands you a box of wooden skewers. "Oh?" He raises an eyebrow, turning around to where the grills are. He ignites the charcoal and slowly fans them to spark a larger burn. The two of you speak, back to back against each other. "What happened?" You purse your lips, sliding a piece of chicken down the skewer. "Kei and Tadashi are in a class together and I'm stuck with Kageyama and Hinata." Takinoue chuckles behind you, the smell of burning charcoal filling up the restaurant. 

"I bet Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are glad to not have you around them." Takinoue jabs at you, your elbow easily hitting his lower back. "AGH." Takinoue presses his hand against the sudden jab. "What does that mean?!" You grumble, placing the finished skewer to the side on a plate for Takinoue to grill. 

Your conversation drops when the sound of bell chimes sound throughout the restaurant. The two of you welcome the patron in unison. 

"Coach Ukai!" You brighten when you see a familiar face. "Hey Keishin, just you today?" Takinoue smiles at his old friend. Ukai shakes his head, motioning his thumb behind him. "The students are just lagging behind." Takinoue chuckles at the thought, grabbing a beer for Ukai who sits in a bar stool. 

"Five skewers to start you off with?" Takinoue asks Ukai and you grab the plate beside you, turning around to place it next to Takinoue. Ukai nods his head, taking a sip of the beer bottle. The sound of chimes ring again and you hear two obnoxious voices. "I GOT HERE FIRST." Hinata pants out, dragging himself towards the large table in the back of the restaurant that seats 12 people. 

"As if you little bitch." Kageyama who's also out of breath, sits in front of Hinata. Taking your plastic gloves off, you walk over to the fridge. One milk box and one can of cola in each of your hands. You walk over to the two and place the milk in front of Kageyama, the cola in front of Hinata. "You two never change." You smirk, noticing their hairs sticking to their faces from their sweat. "I'm guessing 10 skewers for the both of you?" Hinata pops his soda open and nods his head while he chugs the drink down. Kageyama stabs the straw into his milk box and nods his head as well. 

As you make your way back to Takinoue, the door swings open again and you notice a few unfamiliar faces.

_New recruits, maybe?_

Takinoue and you both shout a welcome in unison. "The usual for Hinata and Kageyama, Yūsuke." You call out to him, returning back to the table to get the orders from the new members. The door swings open again before you make it to the table, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi bow when they see Takinoue. "There's the slowpokes." Hinata calls out towards Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. "What were two doing? Kissing on your way here?" Kageyama jokes, a devilish grin on his face. Tsukishima furrows his brows together while Yamaguchi blushes. The new recruits silently mind their own business, not wanting to interfere with their third years.

"Why would we ever do that?" Tsukishima lowly says, glaring at Kageyama. "Is that something you imagine us doing on the daily Kageyama?" Tsukishima sits himself down, smirking now. Hinata bursts into a fit of laughter when Kageyama chokes on his milk. Yamaguchi lowers his eyes, sitting next to Tsukishima. The second and first years try to contain their laughter, a few chuckles and giggles escaping from them. 

"Alright, weird conversation aside. May I take your order please?" You bring the attention towards yourself. A few of the new members shyly tell you their order, your pencil scribbling against your notepad. After taking their orders, you stop in front of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Your eyes rest on the two of them briefly before you turn your back against them. "I-Is she not taking our order?" Yamaguchi stutters, watching Y/N disappear towards the front. Tsukishima exhales, crossing his arms. 

"Is she still upset about the joke earlier today? She's so stubborn." Tsukishima mumbles under his breath. 

You return back with the drinks, placing the drinks in front of the students. Quietly you place a strawberry soda in front of Tsukishima and a citrus soda in front of Yamaguchi. Not looking at them directly, you turn your eyes to the others. "I'll bring your skewers over in a few minutes." Bowing slightly, you turn back around and make your way towards Takinoue, helping him with grilling the chicken skewers. Tsukishima lowers his eyes to the strawberry soda, his fingers gingerly picking it up. 

"Looks like she knows our order without us asking." Yamaguchi whispers beside Tsukishima, smiling when he pops open his citrus soda can. 

"The waitress is pretty cute." One of the members silently speak to the other member. "Yeah, I'm always weak for the older girls." The first year innocently admits, sipping on their cola. Kageyama overhears their conversation and interjects himself into the conversation. "Sadly, she has these crazy mood swings. I wouldn't fall for her." 

"Are we talking about Y/L/N? I think she's just emotional, Kageyama." Hinata murmurs. "Well, whatever you want to label it. You wouldn't be able to get her alone." Kageyama sips on his milk. The first years stare at one another before turning their eyes to Kageyama. 

"Why not?" 

Kageyama eyes Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. "Those two are practically her bodyguards. The three of them have been childhood friends." Tsukishima's brows knit together and Yamaguchi silently gulps. "Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, do either of you like Y/L/N?" One of the first years boldly speak up to the two. The table looms an intense atmosphere while everyone anticipates Yamaguchi and Tsukishima's answer. 

Yamaguchi is the first to answer, his hands waving in front of his face. "Not at all. We're friends, I can't see Y/N as anything more than that." 

Tsukishima stares at Y/N. Takinoue is teasing her again about her grilling technique. He lowers his eyes to his soda, taking a sip before placing it back down on the table. "I don't even see Y/N as a girl. Nothing about her is sexy." Tsukishima lowly speaks. "Ah..." Hinata is shocked from Tsukishima's words. "Is that how you normally speak about a close friend of yours?" 

"I thought I was harsh..." Kageyama mumbles. 

Yamaguchi looks over at Tsukishima, biting his bottom lip. "That tongue of yours Tsukki..." 

The first year recovers from hearing Tsukishima's words. "So it's alright if I try to pursue her?"

Tsukishima shrugs in response. "That's not something for me to say you can or can't do. I've never seen Y/N like anyone in the 12 years I've known her." Tsukishima stares at the strawberry logo plastered on the can, his fingers twirling the cold can in circular motions.

You walk back to the table with Takinoue, the two of you holding two plates in your hands. "Sorry for the wait, enjoy!" Takinoue sets his plates down on the left side of the table and you set yours on the right. Turning around to leave, one of the first years call out to you. "Y-Y/L/N." A timid voice meets your ears. Raising your eyebrow, you turn back around. "Did you need another drink?" You ask, staring at the first year. His eyes are wavering and he's biting his lower lip. He shakes his head, cheeks turning red.

"I want to ask you a question...do you have a type?" The student carefully asks his question and you're taken aback. The question throws you in for a loop. "A type? Like a guy type?" You clarify the question, seeing the student nod his head. "I don't have a particular type. But I already have someone I like. I'm assuming your intention with the question is because you want to develop feelings for me." Bowing slightly, you apologize to the first year. "I should get back to work now. Enjoy your meal." With a small smile on your face, you hurry back over to your station. 

"She has someone she likes?" Yamaguchi stammers out, surprised. The first year sulks, picking up a skewer to eat. "Looks like you don't pay that much attention to her Tsukishima." Kageyama smirks. "Y/L/N has someone she likes." 

"I wonder who it is?" Hinata munches on two skewers at once, his eyes look over to Y/L/N. "Is it maybe Takinoue?" Tsukishima and Yamaguchi both glance across the restaurant. 

"Hey, if you're burning another one, I'm forcing you to eat it." Takinoue lifts a half burnt chicken skewer, raising it towards Y/L/N's lips. She takes a bite on one side. "It's not even that bad Yūsuke." Y/N mumbles with a smile. Takinoue pulls the piece Y/N's taken a bite off of and finishes it, shrugging. "Huh, maybe I'm just being too harsh on you Y/N." He chuckles, finishing off the skewer before tossing it in the recycling bin under the grills. 

"There's no way it's Takinoue, he's much older than her." Kageyama mumbles out after swallowing a piece of chicken. 

"Doesn't that make it even much more scandalous?" Hinata's eyes sparkle. "Besides, Y/N is of legal age. She's 18." 

"But Takinoue is 29. That's an 11 year age gap." Kageyama retorts. Hinata raises an eyebrow. "Why are you so against my theory Kageyama?! Do you like her or something?" 

"Is that why you were trying to tell me to not go for her?" The first year exclaims towards Kageyama. The table becomes a bustling mess of voices. 

"It can't possibly be Takinoue, right Tsukki?" Yamaguchi whispers, the two still staring at Y/N and Takinoue.


	5. Flippy emotions

You flip the last chair onto the table and turn off the front lights of the restaurant. Takinoue yawns while he closes the lid over the marinated chicken for tomorrows dinner service. He tiredly opens the fridge and slides them all inside. 

"Ready to go home Y/N?" Takinoue calls out to you from the back. You hurry back there with Takinoue, the two of you exiting from the back of the restaurant. Grabbing your bike, you wait for Takinoue to lock up the door. Takinoue kindly bikes with you home every night and tonight is no different. You cycle a bit slower to match his pace. 

"Good work today Yūsuke." You smile when you look over at him, seeing his sleepy tears on the corner of his eyes.

"You too Y/N." He smiles back, wiping his eyes and another yawn escapes from him. "It was nice to see the volleyball team come in today."

"Looks like there's new recruits too. Hopefully they'll be able to hold a winning streak for the third years after they graduate." The spring night air kisses your face, the stray pieces of your hair flying past you. "I'm sure they will." Takinoue grins. "Ukai overheard one of their conversations. Did one of the first years try to get your attention?" 

You recall the first years question earlier in the night. Exhaling, you bike a little quicker. Takinoue quickens his pedaling to follow you. "He said you told the first year you have someone you like. Who is this person Y/N?" Takinoue teases you, grinning from ear to ear. "Aren't you a bit too old for this kind of gossip Yūsuke?" You feel your cheeks heat up but the coolness of the early morning stops your face from reddening too much. Takinoue wears a gentle smile when he looks at your flustered expression.

"There you go again, calling me old." 

"You're nearing your 30's Yūsuke." Slowing your pedaling, you look over at him briefly. Takinoue groans loudly into the quiet air. 

"Don't remind me! I've been too busy with the restaurant that I can't find the time to socially date." You scoff, rolling your eyes. "We only open for eight hours a day. You oversleep, so don't make excuses." 

The two of you come to a halt when you're at the front of your house. Sliding yourself off of your bike seat, you tell Takinoue goodnight. "You're a handsome man Yūsuke, stop being lazy and make an effort to go out on a date. I expect to hear news from you the next time I work." 

"You expect me to find a girl to date in two days?" Takinoue watches Y/N roll her bike up the cobblestone path towards her front entrance. "Yeah. You can do it. Or at least attempt it." You giggle, leaving your bike parked next to the door. "I'm going in now. Night Yūsuke!" 

"Night Y/N!" Takinoue mimics your cheerful farewell, he then cycles off further ahead towards his place.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

The morning arrives quicker than you expect when you're dozing off in your seat. You faintly hear your teachers voice when he calls for attendance. 

"Y/L/N Y/N?" The teacher calls out your name and you weakly raise your hand up to acknowledge him. "I suggest you to sleep at home and not in class Y/L/N." Your eyebrows twitch into irritation when you hear the arrogance in your teachers voice. Sitting up straight, you force on a smile. "Sorry, sir. I'll make sure to not do it again." You speak sarcastically. Dropping your smile and glaring at him. 

His nostrils flare but he continues to go down the line. 

"God, your flippy emotions are scary." Kageyama mumbles beside you, his arms crossed and he leans his back against his seat. "Shut up." You mumble, resting your cheek on your palm, your elbow propping up on the table. "Did you get home late last night?" Hinata whispers to you, you nod your head to his question. "Were you with the guy you like last night?"

Your sleepiness fades away when you process Hinata's question, whipping your head to look at Hinata with your brows furrowing together. "What?!" 

"Y/L/N!" Your teacher sternly says your name and you apologize. 

"Takinoue. He's the guy you like, right?" Hinata whispers again. "What made you think he's the one I like?" You grumble, averting your eyes back to your closed notebook. You flip it open, grabbing a pencil out of your pencil bag. 

"If it's not him, than who is it?" Kageyama is the one to throw out a question now. "I'm not going to tell either of you who it is." You ignore the two, writing down todays date. Kageyama and Hinata stare at you in silence. "We'll figure it out eventually so you might as well fess up now." Kageyama whispers. 

"Why does it matter to you who I like, Kageyama?" You stop your hand from writing, turning to look at him directly in his dark blue eyes. "I'm just curious to see what unlucky guy has to face your confession." Kageyama grins with a glint in his eyes. 

"Fuck off." You grumble while Hinata holds back his chuckle with his hand. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima slowly make their way to the usual spot on top of the hill during lunch break. "Do you think Y/N will show up for lunch? She didn't really speak to us last night." Yamaguchi purses his lips, his bento box in his hand. Tsukishima shrugs, ripping open the plastic wrap that's around his cream filled bread. Tsukishima lowers his lips to the bread but a hand snatches it away from him, he's confused at first. 

"Shouldn't you eat something else Kei?" You smile at him when you raise his bread next to your face. 

"Y/N." Yamaguchi raises his eyebrows when he looks over at you. You turn your attention over to Yamaguchi and you raise a hand up. "That's me." You smile. Tsukishima extends his hand to his bread but you pull your arm back. 

"Give it back Y/N." Tsukishima grumbles, throwing his hand out again but you swiftly duck under from him and run towards the hill. Yamaguchi chuckles beside Tsukishima, noticing the scowl Tsukishima wears on his face. Cupping your hands together you call out to him. "You can have it back once you get up here Kei!"

"That little..." Tsukishima turns around and runs up the hill, Yamaguchi follows after him. Tsukishima makes it up to the top of the hill, he roughly takes a seat next to you, his shoulder bumping into you. You quickly take a bite of the cream bread before he snatches it back. Tsukishima widens his eyes, lips slightly parting in distraught. "Y/N YOU BITCH. GIVE IT BACK." 

With the bread still in your mouth, your eyebrows raise up. "Take it out of my mouth then." You taunt Tsukishima, watching his golden brown eyes stare at your lips. A devilish smile forms on his face and you instantly know what that expression means. 

Tsukishima leans his face close to yours, his nose grazes against your nose. "You think I won't do it Y/N?" His low voice sends a chill down your spine, the way he stares at you makes your heart hammer in your eardrums. Yamaguchi panics at the scene that's unraveling before him, his hand extends out, attempting to pull Tsukishima back. But you push Tsukishima away, giving the two of you distance. 

"I give up!" You whine out. "I'll buy you another one tomorrow." 

Tsukishima smirks in satisfaction, taking a bite out of his bread. Yamaguchi calms his racing heart, clearing his throat. "Tsukki, did you want some of my lunch?" Yamaguchi pulls out his bento box from the cloth that keeps it safe. 

"No, it's fine. You need it more than I do Tadashi. You've been practicing more seriously lately so you need the food for energy." Tsukishima looks at Yamaguchi in the eyes. You stare at the two, feeling a bit left out. Pursing your lips, you force your eyes up to the sky. "Are you not eating Y/N?" Tsukishima looks over to you, you shake your head and pull your knees up to your chest. He notices the slight paleness in Y/N's face and the silence in her behavior. 

"Are you not hungry Y/N?" Yamaguchi calls out to you. "Not particularly." You lie.

With you attending school again, you had less shifts at work which meant you had to manage your money more seriously. That includes your funds towards food. You decide to change the topic, turning to look over at the two. "How's your classes been without me there?" 

Yamaguchi notices the slight sadness in Y/N's tone, he musters up a small smile. "Not as entertaining." 

"I don't mind it." Tsukishima smirks at you, knowing his words will fire you up. You roll your eyes, looking away from him and scoffing. "Well, I miss you two." You speak honestly, not noticing the slight guilty expression both of them wear for different reasons. "W-Well, it's only the second day. I'm sure you won't miss us as much in a few weeks." Yamaguchi attempts to lighten up the mood but you continue to sulk. 

"Try to think about the guy you like." Tsukishima says curtly. "Since you kept that a secret from us." 

Yamaguchi is startled that Tsukishima mentioned last nights topic. Your calm reaction is something Tsukishima didn't expect from you. Huffing under your breath, you lay your back against the grass.

"I don't get to see him a lot either." 

Both Tsukishima and Yamaguchi envision Takinoue when they listen to you speak. 

"He probably doesn't even miss me when I'm not around." Your voice slightly pained. You turn your attention over to Tsukishima, narrowing your eyes on him. "Also, I don't need to tell you if I like someone. You'll just make fun of the guy I like." 

Slowly sitting up, you look at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. "I doubt you two would tell me if there's a girl you're interested in. You would probably just tell each other since you're closer to one another." Standing up, you pat the grass off of your skirt. "I ruined my mood. I'll be leaving now." You exhale, walking down the hill. 

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi silently watch Y/N leave. 

"There she goes again. Saying whatever she wants and leaving before anyone can say something." Tsukishima mumbles under his breath, clicking his tongue. Yamaguchi feels an aching pain in his chest when he stares at Y/N's small figure. 

_So Y/N does notice that he and Tsukishima have a closer bond._

If Yamaguchi doesn't play it safe, Y/N will recognize his hidden feelings towards Tsukishima.

Tsukishima nudges Yamaguchi in the shoulder slightly. "Just ignore her. She'll come back to us with a smiling face." Tsukishima notices the worry clouding over Yamaguchi's eyes. But his expressions didn't reflect what Tsukishima thinks they do. Yamaguchi nods his head, focusing his eyes on his bento box. 


	6. Beach getaway invitation

Four months have passed since the start of your third year. The spring long gone and the summer now blazing down against you. You feel yourself drifting away from your friendship with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi due to your job and their volleyball practices. The small times you spent during lunch break isn't enough time. But now there's absolutely no time with them during summer break.

You groan into the living room, lowering the handheld fan from your hand. Not wanting to raise the electric bill for using the aircon, you feel like you are melting your skin off. You sit up from the sofa and walk over to the fridge for an ice cream but you're stopped halfway when the doorbell rings.

"Who could that be?" You walk over to the door, confused.

Dad was called over to the construction site for an urgent matter so it wouldn't be him. Besides, he has the keys to the house. 

Upon opening the door, you're surprised to see Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

"Nice to see you Y/N." Yamaguchi smiles at you. Tsukishima lowers his eyes down to you, his arms crossed and his shoulder leans against the stone house exterior beside the door. "Yo." 

"What brings you two here?" You curiously say. "Did no one teach you how to greet others?" Tsukishima pinches your nose and you slap his hand away, rubbing your nose. "We came over to invite you on a little getaway." Yamaguchi exclaims cheerfully. 

"A getaway?" You raise an eyebrow, repeating the question to clarify that you heard correctly. "Our seniors rented a beach house for a week and they want us to come along." Tsukishima explains in more detail.

_Seniors..._

You lower your eyes, recalling all of your seniors that the three of you could possibly associate with. You perk up at the thought when you remember a certain senior that made your heart waver just slightly. 

"Will Sugawara be there?" You jump at the thought, a smile on your face. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi stare at one another, both seeming to mentally communicate to one another. 

_Is Sugawara the one Y/N likes?_

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be there?" Yamaguchi chuckles. You grow smitten at the thought. "When are we going?" The amount of happiness you have from the mentioning of Suga, makes Tsukishima and Yamaguchi curious about their theory. "Tomorrow. Daichi will pick us up early in the morning." Tsukishima answers. "Don't sleep in." 

Nodding your head excitedly, you tell the two farewell and hurry over to your bedroom to pack. 

The two watch the door close in front of them before they have the chance to say their goodbyes. Tsukishima turns his eyes away from the door. "Did Y/N get close to Suga when we were first years?" Yamaguchi ponders on the thought, tapping a finger to his cheek. "I think she just distantly looked at him. I don't remember a time those two spent any time together. Y/N never went out of her way to come see us during volleyball practice or many of our games." 

The two walk away from Y/N's front door, pondering in thought. 

"It's kind of silly that the two of us are trying to figure out this mystery guy that Y/N likes." Yamaguchi chuckles, looking over at Tsukishima. Tsukishima purses his lips, his shoulders stiff. "I'm just wondering how the two of us bypassed it. We're around her most of the time until recently. I wonder..." Tsukishima slowly looks over at Yamaguchi. "Could it be you Tadashi?"

Yamaguchi goes red in the face, eyes wide. "W-WHAT?!" 

"You're always kind to her compared to me. Besides, it makes perfect sense. She mentioned how she never gets to see the guy anymore and that he probably doesn't miss her. Y/N questioned us a few times if we miss her since we don't share the same class." Yamaguchi processes the words Tsukishima spits out, his eyes wavering at the thought. He starts to panic with how legitimate this claim sounds. 

"N-No way, you're just saying stupid things Tsukki." Yamaguchi stops walking, his fingers running through his hair. "There's no way."

Tsukishima notices how nerve wracking Yamaguchi looks. "Hey, aren't you freaking out a bit too much?" Tsukishima calls out to Yamaguchi's nervous breakdown. "I..." Yamaguchi's lips quiver. "What's wrong Tadashi? Have you never had a girl develop feelings for you?" Tsukishima lightheartedly makes fun of Yamaguchi to ease his nerves. 

"It's not that. I just." Yamaguchi bites his bottom lip, lowering his hands down from his hair and forming tight fists. He flicks his eyes over to Tsukishima's golden brown eyes. "I have someone I like." 

Tsukishima is taken aback from how stern and serious Tsukishima speaks and looks. "What is it with you two hiding this kind of information?" Tsukishima shakes his head, slightly offended. "I'm guessing the person you like isn't Y/N?" 

Yamaguchi lowers his eyes and shakes his head. Tsukishima sighs under his breath, walking ahead. "This beach getaway might be more interesting than I thought it will be." A smirk plasters on his face and he dryly chuckles. "If Y/N confesses to you, make sure to let her down easy Tadashi. You know how sensitive she gets."

"Stop it Tsukki..." Yamaguchi sulks, staring at Tsukishima's back. Little does Tsukishima know, Yamaguchi's feelings are towards him. If he had any other chance to confess, it would be during this beach getaway. Y/N will be distracted by Suga which will give him more time with Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi makes up his mind. 

_He's going to confess to Tsukishima during the week of the beach getaway._


	7. Reunited with Suga

"Make sure to take care of yourself while I'm gone dad." You close the lid to the last container of food you've prepared for your dad. He smiles at you from the dining room table and nods his head. 

"I think you should focus more on enjoying yourself. I can take care of myself Y/N." Dad stands up and gives you a hug, kissing your forehead. Pursing your lips, you look at your dad. "You better keep your promise about drinking alcohol." You smile at him, hearing the doorbell ring. "Ah, that must be them." Pulling away from your dad, you grab your small luggage and roll it over to the front door. Dad follows after you, opening the door for you. He sees an unfamiliar face. An older guy with a slender build, light grey hair, and hazel brown eyes with a mole under his left eye smiles at your dad.

"Good morning Mr. Y/L/N. I'm Sugawara Kōshi." Suga extends his hand to shake your dads. Your eyes widen when you look at Suga, his face seems more mature than you remember. 

"Ah, so you're one of Y/N's seniors. I'm sorry to burden you with her. I apologize in advance if she makes a fool of herself." Dad teases you, noticing your face redden over. Suga slowly turns his eyes towards you, noticing your embarrassed expression. "Nonsense, Y/L/N won't be any trouble. We should get on the road. I'll make sure to watch over her." Suga bows to your dad, easily taking the luggage out of your hands and ushering you to come along. 

"Bye dad." You sheepishly mutter out, hurrying after Suga. The two of you walk over to an SUV and Daichi hops out of the drivers seat, popping the trunk open. "Is that you Y/N?" Daichi grins when he looks at you, ruffling your hair. 

"You couldn't recognize her either, right?" Suga chuckles, placing your luggage inside the van. You quietly fix your hair, nervous to stare at the two. "Thank you for inviting me Daichi, Suga." You bow slightly. 

"No need to be so formal around us. We're not your seniors anymore in school." Suga gently tilts your shoulders up. "Let's get inside the car, we can chat in there." When you step inside the SUV, a loud voice calls out to you. "Y/L/N!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The familiar voice of Nishinoya screams to you from the back seat. 

"Shut up Noya!" Kageyama who's still tired, barks out at Nishinoya in the passenger seat up front. Kiyoko waves at you when you look over to her. 

"Kiyoko!" You happily say when you see her, waving to her and Nishinoya. Tanaka somehow is in a deep sleep despite Nishinoya sitting one seat over. "You can sit right here Y/L/N." Suga pats to the seat behind Daichi. Sitting by the window, Suga takes a seat next to you. "Alright. We have me, Daichi, Y/L/N, Kageyama, Tanaka, Kiyoko, and Nishinoya. That's everyone."

"Everyone? What about the others?" You look over at Suga. 

"Oh, Asahi is in the other van behind us. He has Yamaguchi, Hinata, and Tsukishima." Suga smiles at you, reaching over to grab your seat belt for you. "It'll be a long ride, so." You shyly lean back while Suga clicks the seat belt for you. "You always make me feel like a kid Suga..." You murmur. Suga overhears you and quietly chuckles. 

"Because you act like one. You always watched me from afar but never had the nerve to come talk to me. I purposely pulled you into this car so you can't hide behind Tsukishima and Yamaguchi." He sticks his tongue out playfully. Your cheeks turn a shade pink. "So that's why you were outside my door and not one of them..." 

"Bingo~" Suga winks. "How's senior year so far Y/L/N?" 

Pursing your lips, you shrug. "Not as exciting as I thought it would be." Suga notices your distant expression when you answer him, your eyes turning to look out of the window. 

"She's upset she's in a class with Hinata and I." Kageyama turns around to look at the two of you. Nishinoya pops his face between you and Suga, startling you. "Senior year is suppose to be the most exciting year Y/L/N, don't sweat over the small things." 

You didn't want to hear that from Nishinoya, the guy who lets the flow push him wherever it wants. Pinching Nishinoya's nose, you push him back with your pointer finger against his forehead. "Ugh, you only act cute towards Daichi and Suga. But you're rough with everyone else." Nishinoya grumbles out, rubbing his nose.

"I'm not just upset about not being in a class with those two." You mumble out. Kiyoko seems a bit interested, her eyebrows raising slightly. Crossing your arms, you purse your lips. "I feel left out in the group more than usual. We're suppose to be best friends but it feels like..." You get emotional when you think about Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's closeness. 

"Like they're leaving you behind?" Suga quietly finishes your sentence. You look over to him, surprised. He wears a small smile and gently pats your head. "I'm sure they're not meaning to make you feel like that. There's some things guys bond over closer about than they can with the opposite sex." 

"Like what?" Nishinoya questions Suga. "Girls." Kageyama bluntly speaks up. "They wouldn't feel comfortable talking about girls in front of Y/L/N. I doubt she wants to hear how they fantasize about them." Your face flushes at the thought of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi having that kind of conversation. "You hid a secret from them too Y/L/N." Kageyama turns sideways to look at you. 

"A secret?" Daichi looks at you from the rearview mirror. You glare at Kageyama, silently telling him to not say a thing with your eyes. But Kageyama smirks to your response. "That she has feelings for someone. Someone she's not saying who." Nishinoya gasps beside your ear. You cover your face, irritation written all over it, the tips of your ears red.

"Who's this person? You should confess to them if they're on this trip." Nishinoya peer pressures you. Suga eyes Nishinoya, the stern glare makes him shut up. "W-What are we talking about?" Tanaka jolts awake, drool on his chin. Kiyoko quietly giggles, grabbing a tissue from her purse and wiping it off of his face. "Aw, thanks babe."

"B-Babe?" You lower your hands, both you and Kageyama speak in unison. "OH, HEY YOU TWO!" Tanaka grins widely. "It's been awhile!"

"Idiot it's only been a year since we last saw you." You and Kageyama both blurt out. Suga quietly chuckles at your change of emotion. "A lot's happened in a year." Tanaka wiggles his brows, raising his and Kiyoko's hand up to show off an engagement ring. 

"W-Wait." Your eyes widen in shock. "When did you two even date?" Kageyama blurts out, nearly jumping out of his seat. Daichi pushes Kageyama's shoulders down with one hand off the wheel. "Kageyama, sit your ass down."

Kageyama whispers an apology to Daichi, turning his attention forward. Nishinoya crosses his arms, huffing under his breath. "Let's not talk about these two. I can't believe my good friend decided to date and propose to the girl I also had feelings for." 

"Don't make this awkward." Kiyoko mutters to Nishinoya who obediently listens to her. You lower your eyes to Suga's hand and he notices. "I'm not engaged if that's what you're wondering Y/L/N." Suga smiles. 

"He does get plenty of offers from single mothers at the elementary school." Daichi smirks, looking at him in the rearview mirror. "Really?" You gasp, covering your mouth with your hand. "So is it true that single mothers like the younger guys?" 

"H-HEY. Don't talk like that Y/L/N." Suga is the one to be flustered now. "Yeah Suga, get yourself a milf." Nishinoya wears a Cheshire cat like smile. The comment makes Suga hide his face with his large hands. "Noya, what the fuck?!" Tanaka chuckles. 

The ride to the beach house is full of twists and turns in conversation but you enjoy every minute of it.


	8. Fragile friendship

"Alright, how should we split up the rooms?" Daichi speaks up while everyone files into the beach house.

"Kiyoko and I can share a room." Tanaka smirks, pulling her along with him to claim a bedroom. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima look at one another, both making their way to claim another room with two beds. Hinata silently looks over at Kageyama. "Fuck no. I will not." Kageyama crosses his arms, turning his back against Hinata. "Come on! We've done it every school trip, stop being a jerk." Hinata pushes Kageyama forward.

Nishinoya inches towards you, a devilish smile on his face. "So...Y/L/N. Want to share a room?" Suga pulls Nishinoya by the ear. "There's no way I'm letting that happen. I promised her dad she'll be under my care. So you'll share a room with me."

Daichi and Asahi shrug, looking at one another. "Lucky you Y/L/N, you can have a bedroom to yourself." Daichi smiles at you. "Let's go claim whatever room is left Asahi." You watch everyone run around the house, staring at each bedroom. Looking up at the upstairs loft, you grab your luggage and carry it up with you to the lone bedroom that's upstairs.

To your surprise the room that's upstairs is the master bedroom. "Lucky me." You whisper to yourself. Placing your luggage on top of the bed to unpack your belongings.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

After everyone settled in, the group lounges around in the living room. "What should we do?" Nishinoya hops over the sofa, sitting himself down next to Asahi and Kageyama. "We'll be here for a week, so there's no rush to do everything at once." Daichi says from the kitchen, loading up the fridge with things the group bought at the supermarket. 

"I want to see the beach!" Hinata exclaims, pointing out to one of the large windows in the beach house. Majority of the beach house is covered in glass to let natural lighting in. "Sounds fun." Tanaka agrees, looking over at Kiyoko. "I'd love to see Kiyoko in her bikini." Kiyoko blushes, pinching Tanaka's cheek. Asahi flushes from hearing Tanaka, clearing his throat to look at Hinata. "Let's go check the beach out then." Asahi says with a smile, walking over to the front door.

Suga notices you've been silent during the conversation, your eyes briefly looking over at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi who've been chatting among each other. "Are you coming along Y/L/N?" Suga walks over to the reclining chair that you're sitting in. Pulling your eyes away from the two, you look up at Suga who's wearing a smile towards you. 

"I'll stay behind. I'm still a bit tired from waking up early." 

Suga narrows his eyes on you, not buying your lie. "Are you sure you're not trying to avoid a certain duo?" Biting your lower lip, you avert your eyes to the side. Suga gently places his hand on your head. "You ask me to not treat you like a kid but you're acting like one of the kids in my elementary school." Suga chuckles, he lowers his hand down to your empty one. His long fingers lace around your fingers and he pulls you out of the recliner. 

You blush when you feel your laced fingers. Nervously you pull away, the physical touch surprising you. Suga dryly chuckles at your blushing face. "Let's go, they're leaving us behind." 

You follow beside Suga, the two of you exiting the beach house, making sure to lock the door behind you. A comfortable silence fills the lack of conversation between the two of you. Your eyes looking ahead towards the group that are enjoying each others company. 

"So, about this person you like." Suga slyly brings up the topic that was dropped in the car ride. Your lips form a fine line and you shake your head. "I'm not telling you either Suga." Suga droops his shoulders, folding his arms behind his head. The smell of the salty beach intoxicates your nose while your hair flutters past your shoulders. "So it's someone here then." 

You stiffen, staying silent and avoiding Suga's looming eyes on the side of your face. He smirks from your silence, chuckling to himself. "Now I just need to narrow down from the four possible choices." Suga looks at Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi. 

"No, you don't need to narrow anything down." You stammer out, feeling the tips of your ear heat up. Standing in front of Suga, you raise your hands up to block his view. Suga's smile widen when he sees how adorable you're reacting. With both hands, he interlocks his hands with yours, lowering your hands down. "Were you always this adorable Y/L/N? Such a shame I didn't get to see this side of you before." 

Your face flushes for the millionth time today, your eyes firmly still on Suga. "You didn't need to see this side of me..." You murmur out. "Why not?" Suga tilts his head, a smirk on his face. 

"Things would've been complicated." You grumble out, pulling your hands away from Suga and walking ahead. Suga hurries after your side. "Complicated how?" Suga seems to be entertained by your blushing state. There's no point in you hiding your past feelings about him now. The two of you most likely won't encounter one another like this after this week. 

"I kept my distance from you because I was afraid my heart would stop wavering for the guy I like." You sheepishly say, hearing the crashing sounds of the waves. Suga's smile falters slightly, he's taken aback from your honesty. "The same guy you're crushing on now?" Suga asks and you blankly nod along. "A four year crush?" Suga continues to find more information from you. You realize your mistake when you answered Suga. 

"Ugh, you're too easy to speak to Suga." You grumble, walking away from him again. He chuckles again, watching you walk away from him. "Stop running away Y/L/N!" Suga calls out after you with a smile. You cover your ears pretending not to hear him, dashing away now. 

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi turn around to look at Y/N and Suga. Y/N wears a blushing face while Suga is grinning from ear to ear. Tsukishima looks puzzled at the two of them. 

"Hm, I was so sure you were the one she likes Tadashi. Maybe it is Suga." Tsukishima murmurs. The two sit down in the sand, closer to the wooden path that leads up to the beach house. "I don't know how you came up with that idea." Yamaguchi mumbles beside Tsukishima, his hands sifting sand through his palms. Tsukishima turns to look at Yamaguchi's troubled expression, nudging him slightly. "Why do you look so troubled for? We're on vacation. Are you missing the person you like?" Tsukishima jokes around. Yamaguchi purses his lips, his cheeks turning pink. Tsukishima notices the blush creeping across Yamaguchi's face. "Who is she anyway?" 

_It isn't a she. More like a he._

But Yamaguchi couldn't tell Tsukishima right now.

**The moment isn't right.**

Shaking his head, Yamaguchi looks towards the beach. "You wouldn't know them." 

"Someone you met online?" Tsukishima questions, turning his attention towards the beach. "Seems like you to find someone through a video game chatroom." Tsukishima chuckles at the thought. "Do you have a photo of her?" Yamaguchi stiffens. "N-No. That'll be weird." 

"Is it?" Tsukishima glances over at Yamaguchi. "Hmm, I guess it would be if she didn't know you saved a photo of her to your phone." Yamaguchi nervously wishes Tsukishima would drop the conversation, his anxiety reaching it's peak. 

"Even now you two are just spending time together." Kageyama looms behind the two of them, a volleyball in his hand. "Says the one who's always with a volleyball." Tsukishima claps back. Kageyama furrows his brows together, clicking this tongue. 

"This is the perfect place to play a game." Kageyama tries to retort a comeback. "Anyway, I suggest you two spend more time with Y/L/N."

"I'm not going to let you tell me how to handle my friendships." Tsukishima averts his gaze from Kageyama. "Why do you say that Kageyama?" Yamaguchi speaks up, eyes on Kageyama. Kageyama pulls his attention away from Tsukishima and towards Yamaguchi.

"It's probably not my place to say anything but Y/L/N mentioned in the car ride that she feels left out. As annoying as she is to me, I'd much prefer her annoying than sad." Kageyama steps away from the two. "It seems like she's the only one who cares about you two more than you do for her." 

Kageyama's harsh words cut through Yamaguchi's chest. Tsukishima holds an indifferent expression. Neither saying anything when Kageyama walks away. "Kageyama's just like Y/N. Both saying whatever they want and leaving." Tsukishima furrows his brows together. "If Y/N feels that way, she should tell us. I'm not going out of my way to talk to her." 

Yamaguchi lowers his eyes over to Tsukishima. "I think she's afraid to. Every time the three of us are together lately, she ends up getting hurt." 

"She's hurting herself. We're not doing anything. She's been our friend for 12 years, why would our actions hurt her suddenly." Tsukishima crosses his arms, scoffing. Yamaguchi opens his mouth slightly but closes his mouth. 

Y/N's emotions are more fragile now that she's older. But Tsukishima won't take that as an answer.

A lingering thought scratches Yamaguchi in the back of his mind. Y/N's sudden lack of defiance towards the two does make him wonder why she's not as sassy compared to before. She was emotional before but not to this fragile state.


	9. Small words of exchange

After running around on the beach with Suga, you retire back into your room. Taking a shower to rid yourself of the sand. You ruffle your hair in a towel and sit yourself down on the bed. You haven't spoken to Tsukishima or Yamaguchi all today. The two seeming to just spend time together.

You lower your eyes to your phone, staring at the photo of the three of you that's your wallpaper. A frown forms on your face, your thumb gently brushing against your phone screen.

Lowering your phone back on the night stand, you walk back into the bathroom to blow dry your hair. You decide to take a nap until dinner rolls around. Suga suggested a barbecue to start the first night off here at the beach house. You are thankful there's at least one person who is happy to speak to you. Your thoughts focus on Suga.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Shouldn't we get Y/L/N to grill the meat?" Hinata watches Asahi jump back from the spark of the flames. Something is comical about seeing a tall guy with a chin beard afraid of small sparks of fire. "Does she know how to grill meat?" Asahi asks, nervous of the flickering flame while he moves the ribs around on the grill.

"She works at a yakitori restaurant. I'm sure that's more experience than what you have." Kageyama watches Asahi sweat profusely. "Shut up, I'm trying." Asahi weakly mutters, placing the tongs down on an empty plate. "Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her since this afternoon." Hinata and Kageyama both shrug. "Have you guys seen Y/L/N?" Asahi calls out to the other members of the group.

"She's probably still asleep in her room." Suga answers, setting up the table with plates. Nishinoya perks up from Suga's words. He stops shucking corn with Daichi. "Should I go wake her up?" Suga narrows his eyes on Nishinoya, "No."

"I'll go wake her." Yamaguchi speaks up, standing up from the wooden bench. Suga looks over to Yamaguchi and nods his head. "Thanks Yamaguchi." Nishinoya grumbles, grabbing another corn and peeling off the skin. "What's the difference between me and Yamaguchi going. We're both guys."

"Yamaguchi wouldn't take advantage of Y/N's sleeping state, unlike you Noya." Daichi speaks from beside him, chuckling. Nishinoya crinkles his nose, a quiet laughter escaping him.

Yamaguchi nervously stands in front of Y/N's bedroom door. He raises his hand up towards the door, his hand trembles with anxiety. Faintly knocking, Yamaguchi calls out to Y/N. "Y/N, are you up?" Yamaguchi waits for a response but his question is answered with silence. Pursing his lips together, he places his trembling hand on the doorknob. "I'm coming in." Yamaguchi calls out, opening the door carefully. The darkness of the room greets him when he opens the door. The only light is from the ceiling window, the brightness of the moon casting down onto the bed.

Yamaguchi quietly walks over to Y/N, he tenses up when he sees her sleeping face. He's never seen her look so peaceful like this before. The last time he's seen Y/N's sleeping face might've been back in middle school when she came over for a sleepover with him and Tsukishima.

Steeling his nerves, Yamaguchi gently places his hand on her shoulder to shake her awake. "Y/N, we need your help with dinner."

Y/N's hand gently clasps over top of Yamaguchi. Her touch makes him freeze. "Five more minutes..." She murmurs half asleep. Her hand holds onto Yamaguchi's and he's too nervous to pull his hand back. His heart races and the sound of his beating heart loudly rings in his eardrums. This emotion makes him confused.

_Why is he suddenly feeling like this? Is it because of the mood of the room?_

This kind of feeling never occurred to him with another girl before.

_Is it maybe because Y/N is his best friend?_

Yamaguchi calls out to her again, his voice quivering. "Y/N, you have to get up now."

You faintly hear a familiar voice that belongs to Yamaguchi in your dream. Slowly fluttering your eyes open, your vision is blurry and you see the darkness of the room, a figure squatting down beside your bed. The warmth of someone radiates in your hand. Groggily, you adjust your eyes to see a freckled face.

"Tadashi...?" Your soft voice speaks into the quiet bedroom. You realize you've been holding his hand and you nervously release him. Sitting up, you rub your eyes. "Sorry, were you trying to wake me up?" Yamaguchi slides his hands inside of his shorts pocket, nodding his head. "Yeah...the guys need your help with grilling the meat."

"Okay, I'll be right down." You whisper, avoiding your eyes on Yamaguchi. He notices Y/N's avoidance, a guilt eating at him while he nibbles the bottom of his lip. "You should head back to Kei. I'm sure he's waiting on you." You softly speak up, clenching your hands onto the blanket to rid you of the anxiety in your palms. "It's okay. I'll wait for you to wash your face. We can go downstairs together." Yamaguchi replies, standing up from his squatting.

"You don't have to do that Tadashi. I'll be right down." You insist, taking your blanket off of you, walking past Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi grabs hold of your wrist to stop you.

"Is everything okay Y/N? You've been a little different lately." Yamaguchi asks, his brows furrowing upwards into a worried expression. You pull your wrist away from him, biting your bottom lip. "I should ask you that question Tadashi." You stare at him from the corner of your eye. "Don't think I haven't notice how you've stuck by Tsukishima's side more recently."

Yamaguchi tended to be the middle man when you two would argue. He usually excused himself after breaking up your arguments with Tsukishima. But recently he's stayed by Tsukishima, letting you be comforted by no one. Yamaguchi grows silent from your words. His eyes downcast with guilt. You silently walk yourself to the bathroom, the click of the door echoes in Yamaguchi's ear.

He heard the pain in Y/N's voice and it bothered him. His eyes stare at the closed bathroom door. The sound of the sink running can be heard on the other side. Yamaguchi turns to leave before Y/N re-emerges. He didn't want to upset her further. Yamaguchi exits the beach house and returns to the others. Hinata looks over at Yamaguchi, expecting to see Y/N next to him. "Where is she?"

Yamaguchi looks back towards the house before staring at Hinata. As if on queue, Y/N emerges from the beach house.

"I heard a bunch of guys couldn't grill?" You lightheartedly tease Asahi who's still jumping at every crackle of the coal. Yamaguchi silently watches Y/N's change in voice and expression. You take the tongs from Asahi and motion for him to stand to the side. "What took you so long to get here?" Kageyama interrogates you. His arms folded when he looks at you.

"I'm here now aren't I?" You retort back, flipping over the ribs. The summer night breeze ruffles your hair in your face. Suga walks over to you, grabbing your hair together and tying a pony tail. His kindness makes you blush slightly. "Thank you Suga." You sheepishly say. Kageyama watches the exchange in curiosity. "Is he the one you like Y/N?" Kageyama whispers next to you. Your elbow meets his stomach and Kageyama silently groans. "No, stop saying things like that." You lift the ribs closer to the warmer part of the grill.  
  


"The person she likes is among four guys here." Suga says slyly, winking behind you. Kageyama widens his eyes, alarmed by this new piece of information. You purse your lips. "Where's the plate? I need to take some of these ribs off the grill." You change the topic, speaking a bit loud.

Tsukishima walks up next to you, shoving a plate in front of you. "Put them here." Your eyes meet Tsukishima's golden brown eyes. Silently, you place the ribs on his extended plate. Neither of you exchange words as you pile more ribs on top. Suga notices the weird atmosphere between the two of you. "You can go now." You mumble, turning your attention back to the raw ribs that you place on the grill.

"I was planning to." Tsukishima lowly speaks. Tsukishima walks back to the table and places the plate down. Your eyes waver when you stare at the grill. The first conversation with Tsukishima today is just a brief exchange of commands.

Something about that conversation didn't seem like you two are friends. A frown twitches onto your face but you hide it away temporarily.


	10. Kei's harsh words

You wake up early from the sound of clattering in the kitchen. Pulling over a light cardigan, you tiredly walk to the bathroom to freshen up before seeing who's making all the commotion. Groggily walking past the clock, it reads 7:08 AM.

"Ugh." Shaking your head, you close the bathroom door. Ten minutes after your morning routine, you exit your bedroom door and stare down towards the kitchen from upstairs. "What are you doing up so early Kei?" You call out to him and he stiffens slightly when he hears your voice. His brows knit together, feeling embarrassed that Y/N's the one who spots him. Tsukishima turns around with his usual cocky smirk.

"Getting a head start before everyone wakes up."

You hurry down the staircase and walk over to him, staring at the ingredients he's pulled out. Bread and eggs.

"Are you making breakfast for Tadashi too?" You quietly ask, watching Tsukishima fumble with the pan that's buried under other pans and pots. You extend your hand towards him and assist him by taking the pots and pans off. "No. He can feed himself." Tsukishima curtly answers, lifting the pan out of the cabinet. You lower the cookware back into the cabinet.

"Oh." You simply say, walking over to the fridge to grab the jug of apple juice. Tsukishima eyes Y/N from the corner of his eyes, his lips parting slightly to say something. "Are you eating?" Tsukishima asks, turning the stove top on. Shaking your head, you reach for a glass out of the cupboard, filling the cup halfway. "I'm not a breakfast eater." You answer. Putting the jug back into the fridge.

Tsukishima cracks two eggs into the frying pan after spreading out a slim cube of butter in the pan. You linger around a bit, taking a sip of your juice while you watch Tsukishima make his eggs. He leaves his eggs idling in the pan while he place two slices of bread into a toaster.

"Is there a reason you're up early Y/N?" Tsukishima quietly asks, pressing the handle down on the toaster. Lowering the glass onto the counter top, you stare at the sizzling eggs. "I would be sleeping in but I heard someone rustling around in the kitchen." Tsukishima presses his lips together, moving his eggs slightly with his spatula before covering a lid over them. "Enjoy your breakfast Kei." Picking up your glass of apple juice, you make your way towards the foyer but Tsukishima calls out to you.

"Kageyama told Yamaguchi and I something yesterday." You stop from Tsukishima's stern tone. "That you feel left out?"

You tense up from his words, lowering your eyes to your drink. "Yeah. The two of you have been spending more time together and I feel like I'm intruding when I butt myself in." Speaking softly, you don't dare to turn around to look at Tsukishima. "Isn't it natural for me to feel this way?"

"You're excluding yourself out from us Y/N." Tsukishima eyes your small frame. "You've been more emotional lately and can't handle anything I say." Biting your bottom lip, you clench your hand against the coolness of the glass of apple juice. "I'm not like Tadashi who will take all your punches Kei. I'm a girl with fragile emotions." Tsukishima scoffs at your words. "A girl?" 

Whipping your body around, you narrow your eyes on Tsukishima. He adjusts his glasses on the bridge of his nose, crossing his arms and wearing an arrogant smirk. "I don't see you as a girl, Y/N." The crispness in his voice pierces your heart. Your only response is shock. Your lips tremble and your mind is a mess with several comebacks but your voice is stuck in your throat. Hurt and anger flicker across your face and you're unsure which one to lean on. 

His golden brown eyes glance you up and down, a look of lack of interest reflects in his eyes. "You're actually not that eye catching to look at." Tsukishima continues to speak with his sharp tongue. Not wanting to hear anymore of his "jokes" or whatever he labels this as, you walk over to him, tossing your juice in front of his face. "What the fuck?!" Tsukishima yells at you. 

"W-What are you two doing?" Yamaguchi stares at the two of you from the hallway with wide eyes. Your eyes turn over to Yamaguchi's bewildered ones. "Oh, look who's here to stop us." You mumble, placing the glass down on the counter top. "Come baby Kei now." You speak sharply, turning away from Tsukishima. 

"Y/N you bitch! There you go again, running away." Tsukishima growls out. 

"Fuck you Kei!" You yell out, closing the front door behind you. The anger subsides and you feel the tears sting the corner of your eyes. Your legs give out from under you and you fall onto the wooden porch. Raising your arm up above your eyes, sobbing. 

Yamaguchi hurries over to Tsukishima's side and hands him a hand towel that hangs from the oven handle. Tsukishima quietly takes the towel from Yamaguchi and wipes his sticky face. The faint smell of burnt eggs steam out from the lid on the stove top. Tsukishima turns the heat down and pulls the pan off the stove top and onto another burner that's cold. 

"What were you two arguing about so early in the morning?" Yamaguchi asks, wiping the juice off the floor and tossing it in a trash can. "Nothing important." Tsukishima says between clench teeth, staring down at his drenched white tee. "You can have the eggs and toast. I'm going to shower." Tsukishima tosses the hand towel on the counter and walks out of the kitchen, towards the hallway and into the bedroom. 

Yamaguchi frowns when he looks at the closed bedroom door, his eyes then travel towards the front door Y/N left out of. She knew exactly that he would stay by Tsukishima's side.

_But who would be there for her?_

Yamaguchi recalls her sleeping face and the warmth of her hand last night. His heart aching at how badly he's treating her. 

_Is this really how he wants to treat Y/N?_

He always felt jealous of Y/N when she's around Tsukishima but now that the two are widening their distance with each other, he doesn't feel as happy as he thought he would be. Yamaguchi hurries out the front door, looking to see if Y/N maybe loomed around the front porch but she's no where to be found. A sigh escapes from him and he droops his shoulders, reentering the beach house. 

"Oh? Morning Yamaguchi." Suga yawns, waving at Yamaguchi. "I heard some kind of commotion. Is everything alright?" Yamaguchi stiffens from Suga's words, closing the door behind him. "Y-Yeah. Tsukki and Y/N were just having their usual banter. They separated from each other to cool off." Yamaguchi musters a response, scratching the back of his neck. Suga slowly nods his head, staring at Yamaguchi's troubled expression. 

"Looks like the three of you have been in a rocky friendship." Suga subtly says, walking over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Yamaguchi only nods in response, walking over to the pan that's resting. "Say...would you happen to know who Y/N has feelings for?" Suga changes the topic, a smirk on his face. Yamaguchi blushes, shaking his head furiously left and right. "N-No. She seems to keep it to herself."

Suga nods his head, cracking the water bottle open and taking a gulp. "What about you Yamaguchi?" 

"Sorry?"

"Is there someone you like?" Suga eyes Yamaguchi carefully, noticing the downcast look Yamaguchi wears. 

"Yeah...but I know it's impossible for them to feel the same way." Yamaguchi faintly says, a pained expression written all over his face. Suga stares at Yamaguchi with furrowed brows, a small frown on his face. "You won't know unless you tell them how you feel." Suga walks over to Yamaguchi, giving him a squeeze to his shoulder. "It's better to let your emotions out than to bottle them up. Even if there's a chance at rejection." Suga's words give Yamaguchi the strength he needed. Feeling his sadness disperse and a new found confidence blooming. 

"Thanks Suga." Yamaguchi speaks up with a smile. Suga nods, returning Yamaguchi with a smile of his own. "I'm going to wake up the others. I'll be going now." Suga leaves the kitchen and walks down the hallway. 

Yamaguchi clasps his hands into tight fists, steeling his nerves. 

"Today...I'll be sure to tell him."


	11. When it all started

You find a secluded part of the beach to calm down. Resting your forehead on your knees that are pulled up to your chest, you feel the warmness of the sand underneath your feet. The ocean breeze blows through your hair and the salty smell of the ocean intoxicates your nose. Your anger relaxes when you hear the crashing waves and faint squawking of seagulls. The tears on your face slowly dry up when you lift your head up to look at the sky. 

The sun rays warm up the early morning.

Tsukishima's face flickers across your mind and you frown at the thought. His cruel words hurt you but even then...your heart races for him. You kick your feet against the sand in frustration. 

_Why is your heart racing for a jerk like him?_

The one you like is Tsukishima Kei. But he's too much of a jerk to realize. 

Tsukishima comes off as arrogant and smug but there was a time you saw him at his most vulnerable. Your feelings for him developed sometime in middle school. The time you saw him at his lowest. 

**Sometime in middle school.**

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's final volleyball game of the year is today. Both teams are currently tied with two wins when suddenly Tsukishima had a hand injury the last set of the match. The team depended on Tsukishima incredibly and because of that, they were fumbling during the last set.

You pull yourself out of the gym to look for Tsukishima. You spot him with a nurse who's wrapping his fingers together. 

"You won't be able to rejoin the match. So don't attempt to run back in there." The nurse scolds Tsukishima. He continues to rebuttal her but his words go from one ear out the other. "Kei!" You call out his name, watching his teary eyes look over at you. He quickly wipes his tears away and furrows his brows at you. "What do you want Y/N? Are you here to make fun of me?" Tsukishima is quick to put up his walls but you shake your head. The nurse excuses herself and walks back into the gym. 

"Is your hand okay?" You lower your eyes to his bandaged fingers. 

"I'll be fine. I'll recover in a few days as long as I don't do anything irrational." 

Your shoulders relax, a small smile on your face. "That's good." You look up to Tsukishima expecting him to look relieved but he wears a scowl when he watches the volleyball game.

"If I didn't have to hurt my hand I could be out there. We would be winning by now. Why did I have to go and get hurt like this." Tsukishima rambles under his breath, anger bubbling over him. He watches his teammates constantly fumble around on the court. The score quickly raising one after another on the opposite team. Five minutes go by and it's match point. 

With each passing second, you notice the tenser Tsukishima got. Your eyes too distracted by him instead of the suspense of the game. The echoing sound of the ball hitting the ground on your schools side drains the color in Tsukishima's face. This game weighs heavily on Tsukishima and he's holding the burden of the loss because of his injury. Hearing the blow of the whistle from the referee pulls Tsukishima back to reality. He dashes far away from the gym and you hurry after him.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING KEI?!" You yell out to him, his long legs widening the distance between the two of you. Tsukishima stops himself in the courtyard, his shoulders trembling. You've never seen him react so strongly towards volleyball or anything in fact. Your breathing sharpens when you see his tears trickle down onto the concrete. "K-Kei?" You timidly say his name, unsure if you should close the distance. 

"It's my fault we lost." Tsukishima whimpers out, taking his glasses off to wipe his tears that don't seem to stop. He glares daggers at his bandaged hand. "How am I going to face the team now?" Tsukishima drops down to his knees, sobbing silently and choking back his tears. An aching feeling blooms in your chest when you look at Tsukishima. You couldn't possibly feel his pain but you can see it. 

You never knew how passionate Tsukishima is towards volleyball until today. Quietly, you walk over to crouch in front of Tsukishima. 

"Don't blame everything on yourself Kei. Volleyball is a team game." With both hands you carefully hold his bandaged hand. Tsukishima slowly looks up to see Y/N's face, his vision faintly blurry without his glasses and the tears in his eyes. "You gave it your all and I'm sure your teammates appreciate it. They're probably upset at themselves for not winning the game in your stead." You pray your words can comfort Tsukishima when you speak aloud. Lowering your hands from his, you reach up towards his face. Your soft fingers brush away his tears and Tsukishima silently looks at you. 

"To think I'll see Tsukishima Kei cry." You tease, a giggle escaping your lips. 

"S-Shut up." Tsukishima stutters, putting his glasses back on when you lower your hands. Tsukishima gets up and turns his eyes to the gym. "I should head back in." Nodding your head, you slowly get up. "Yeah...good game today Kei." 

Tsukishima looks over at you, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Thanks Y/N and thank you for cheering me up." Your heart wavers when you see the tender smile on Tsukishima's face. The smile making your chest warm. 

"Yeah..." You nervously smile back, placing your hand on the palm of his back, pushing him forward. "Go to your team. I'll see you and Tadashi in a bit." 

Tsukishima nods his head, raising a hand to say bye before jogging back towards the gym. Seeing Tsukishima disappear, you place a hand over your heart. Your heart thumps wildly against your chest. 

"W-What is this..." You nervously whisper. "Ew. Is my heart racing for that giraffe?" 


	12. Friendly competition

"Have you guys seen Y/L/N?" Suga calls out to the group that's lounging in the living room and kitchen. "She's not in her room?" Asahi asks from the sofa, flipping a page in his book. Nishinoya runs upstairs and knocks on her door, not hearing a response. He carefully opens the door and sees no one inside. "She's not in here." 

"Did she go outside?" Kiyoko speaks up, from the living room. Tanaka sits beside her switching the channels on the television. Suga looks over at Yamaguchi and Tsukishima who are sitting in the bar stools in front of the island table. "Do you two know where she went?" 

Tsukishima shows no interest, shrugging his shoulders. Yamaguchi looks over to the front door. "Did she never come back from this morning?"

"Come back where?" Daichi raises an eyebrow at Yamaguchi, taking a sip of his coffee. "She stormed out the front door earlier this morning." Tsukishima mutters. Suga glances at the time on the microwave, '1:27 PM'. "There's no strange kidnappings around here is there?" Asahi fears the worst as usual. 

"Shut up Asahi! Don't say something like that." Suga freaks out at the thought. "Her dad would hurt me if she disappeared." With Asahi's thoughts in Suga's head, he hurries out of the beach house. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Calm down Y/L/N!" Hinata cries out, he struggles to hit Y/L/N's tosses. Kageyama cracks a smile when he notices Hinata's energetic nature is being tested by Y/L/N's aggressive skill. "I wouldn't even know you played volleyball just by looking at you." Kageyama calls out to her, jumping up to serve.

"What is with guys and judging a girls appearance." You grumble out, eyes tracking the volleyball. Hinata receives the serve and calls out to you, tossing the ball to you. Hinata's toss is a bit lacking but you make up for it, jumping to the ball a second later. Kageyama seems thrown off by Y/L/N's reaction skill and misses the ball barely. You land on your feet, furrowed brows on your face. 

"You're more angry than usual Y/L/N." Hinata timidly speaks up behind you. Puffing your cheeks out, you run your fingers through your hair, your bangs falling over your face. "Y/L/N!!!" Several voices shout your name and the three of you look over to the beach house in the distance. 

"SHE'S OVER HERE!" Hinata cups his hands together and shouts back. Suga, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi run over to the three of you. You ignore Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, looking up at Suga who looks worried. "Is everything okay?" You ask him, Suga is hunched over, hands on his knees. 

"We thought you were kidnapped." Suga pants out. Tsukishima averts his eyes towards the beach, crossing his arms. Yamaguchi steps towards you, speaking softly. "You never came back this morning so..." 

"Didn't know you cared." You mutter towards Yamaguchi, walking away from him. "Since the three of you are here...Kei and Tadashi, go over to Kageyama's side." 

"Wait, I don't want them on my team." Kageyama blurts out, glaring at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Suga stands up straight and raises an eyebrow. "You were out here playing with these two? Even though you don't like them?" Suga wears a half smile. 

"They're better company than a certain two." You mumble, grabbing Suga's wrist and pulling him towards the back. "You're our setter Suga. Hinata and I will take the shots." Suga looks alarmed, his eyes widen. "You?" 

"Don't judge her Suga. She's pretty cool." Hinata says with a grin. "I swear if you don't make any points, I'm kicking you." Kageyama speaks over to Yamaguchi who nods his head, gulping in nervousness. 

"Hinata, you focus on Tadashi." You whisper next to Hinata, glaring your eyes over at Tsukishima. "Giraffe boy is mine." 

"G-Giraffe boy?" Hinata echoes your words. Kageyama jumps up to serve and Suga successfully receives the ball, tossing it back up. You break away from Hinata, eyes on the ball, your knees bend low and you spring up, slamming the ball right between Tsukishima's arms. A cocky smile forms on your face when you watch Tsukishima's alarmed expression. Landing on your feet, Hinata runs up to you with both hands raised high, the two of you high five one another. 

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING TSUKISHIMA?!" Kageyama is already barking at him. "Shut up, I wasn't ready." Tsukishima curtly says, turning his attention over to you with a piercing stare. You feel his golden brown eyes on you, a smirk forms on your face and you walk back to your positioning. 

"To think Y/N's volleyball skills didn't get rusty over the years..." Yamaguchi speaks next to Tsukishima. Tsukishima clenches his teeth, his anger bubbling. "We're not letting her get her way." He clicks his tongue, repositioning himself. 

The six of you barely keep score and the game slowly unravels into a showdown between you and Tsukishima. The others are slowly getting tired, face redden by the heat. "Let's take a break guys." Suga speaks up, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. Neither you or Tsukishima are listening. The two of you receiving the ball from each other. Kageyama, Hinata, Suga, and Yamaguchi step away from the net. 

A fire flickers in your eyes when you jump up again to counter Tsukishima's high tosses. You feel your body heavy and the sweat is making your hair stick to your face.

**You're going to run out of stamina soon.**

"Give up Y/N." Tsukishima says between passes. You run backwards, sending the volleyball back over towards Tsukishima. "I'm not going to give up until you do." You growl out, your chest heaves up and down roughly. 

"I thought Kageyama looked scary when he's in the zone." Hinata mumbles, gulping down the water bottle. Suga looks over at Yamaguchi who's wiping the sweat off of his face. "Were these two always this competitive against each other?" Yamaguchi flicks his eyes over to the two, the ball miraculously not hitting the sand yet. "Yeah. You could say they're just as competitive as Hinata and Kageyama are with each other." Yamaguchi cracks a smile when he looks at the two stubbornly keeping the ball up. 

"Damn it Kei! Fall over you bitch." You shout, slamming the ball over the net. 

Tsukishima smirks, chuckling when his long arms easily save the volleyball. "Are you getting tired Y/N?" You notice the way Tsukishima carries his hand in the air. He's attempting a light hit on the ball. You watch the ball slowly fall against the sand near the net, your arm is a bit too short to keep the ball up. 

"Ugh..." You grumble out, hiding your eyes from the bright sun with your arm. The hot sand surrounds you while you tiredly lay in it. Tsukishima lifts the net over him and squats next to you. 

"How does it feel to be a loser." Tsukishima taunts you. Grabbing a handful of sand with your other hand, you ready to throw it towards him. Tsukishima wraps his large hand around the small of your wrist, stopping you. He pulls you up, making you sit up.

Lowering your arm from your eyes, you glare at Tsukishima. The closeness of his face makes you freeze up. Your eyes stare at his blonde locks that stick against his face. His golden brown eyes staring directly towards you. Feeling the heat creep up into your cheeks, you push Tsukishima against the sand. He's surprised when his back hits the sand. "Who's the loser now?" You grumble, standing up. Tsukishima narrows his eyes, reaching for your arm and pulling you down next to him. 

"Stop playing dirty Y/N. Admit that you're the loser." Tsukishima hides his smile when he sees you laying next to him in the sand. Your heart is in your throat when you see how close the two of you are. Pushing yourself away, you glare at Tsukishima. "Am I a loser and not a girl in your eyes Kei?" You change the topic, dusting off the sand from your arm when you sit up. Suga walks over to you, extending his hand towards you. You thank Suga, taking his hand. 

Tsukishima exhales, sitting up. "Are you still upset about earlier?" 

You glare over at Tsukishima, staring down at him. "Of course. How would you feel if I said I didn't see you as a man?" 

"A what?" Suga is thrown off from the conversation between the two of you. Yamaguchi walks over to help Tsukishima up. 

"Do you want to repeat your words Kei?" You taunt him, mentally you hope he didn't repeat his words. You are still upset about it. Yamaguchi looks just as confused as Suga. Tsukishima bites his tongue, looking elsewhere. "Nothing." Tsukishima curtly says, wiping the sand off his arm. 

"Should we head back and change into something else? I think the others will be taking a swim in the beach." Suga turns his attention to you, a gentle smile. Keeping your hand in Suga's, you nod in agreement. "Sure, let's go Suga." You pull him along, not noticing Tsukishima's eyes that narrow at your clasp hands. 

Yamaguchi looks at Tsukishima's twitching irritation. "Let's go Tadashi." Tsukishima walks ahead and Yamaguchi nervously extends his hand towards Tsukishima's arm to stop him. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder. 

"Tsukki, can we go and talk somewhere private later?" Yamaguchi speaks in a timid tone.

"Sure, we can talk after we get changed." Tsukishima turns back around and walks ahead. Yamaguchi lowers his hand to his side and quietly follows Tsukishima, his hands trembling.


	13. Two confessions

You stare at the soft yellow gingham patterned one piece on your bed. You nearly left your swimsuit behind when you were packing for the trip because of your insecurity to wear anything that would reveal too much skin. 

_Should you just not go swimming instead?_

Biting your bottom lip and furrowing your brows, you shake off the thought. You didn't want to dampen the others mood by sitting around in the sand while the others are in the water. Picking up the swimsuit, you walk over to the bathroom to get changed. Your eyes stare at your scar against your abdomen when you lift your shirt off. 

Exhaling, you shut your eyes closed. Wearing a one piece makes you feel like a child, compared to the other girls on the beach who are wearing a two piece. But you didn't want the others to see the large scar that stretches diagonally across your abs. 

Not wanting to stall anymore time, you slip into your one piece and slide on a sheer lace cover up. 

"Y/L/N~ Are you done in there." The perverted voice of Nishinoya is heard from the other side of the door when you exit the bathroom. 

"Noya..." You grumble out, opening the door to see him with a mischievous smile. He frowns when he sees you in a one piece. Your brows knit together. "Sorry to let you down Noya." You scoff, walking past him. "W-What are you talking about? I was totally not thinking you'll be in a bikini." Nishinoya awkwardly clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck. 

"Whatever." You grumble, walking downstairs. Tsukishima notices Y/N walking past the hallway, his eyes on her. "You're still cute Y/L/N!" Nishinoya tries to recover himself but she ignores him. Yamaguchi steps out from the bedroom and looks over at Tsukishima. "Everything okay Tsukki?" Tsukishima looks over his shoulder to Yamaguchi. "Yeah, let's go." 

"Where are the others?" You ask Nishinoya, the two of you walking towards the beach beside one another. Nishinoya pouts, crossing his arms when he mentions Tanaka and Kiyoko. "Those two ran off somewhere together. Daichi and the others should be somewhere close by though." Nishinoya hovers a hand over his eyes to scan the beach. He spots Asahi's tall figure, struggling to stand the umbrella into the sand. 

"There they are!" Nishinoya tugs on your arm and the two of you run over to them. "Need a hand buddy?" Nishinoya covers the sand closer to the pole of the umbrella while Asahi straightens the umbrella up. "Thanks Noya." Asahi dryly chuckles, feeling a bit embarrassed. You notice Daichi laying on a beach towel with a book in his hand. You sit next to him and peer over to his book. 

"Are you not going in the water Daichi?" 

Daichi looks over to you, a smile on his face. "I'll go in a bit later. Someone has to hold the fort down. You should go ahead and enjoy the water Y/L/N." 

Your eyes glance around you, several people litter the beach compared to earlier this morning. You spot Hinata, Kageyama, and Suga already in the water. "I'll go in later too." Nishinoya over hears you, taking a seat beside you. "You wanted to spend time with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, didn't you?" 

You tense up from his words. Nishinoya chuckles when he sees your troubled expression. "Can't you spend some time with me instead? I won't get to see you after this week." Nishinoya puckers his lips out, pouting. "You're just lonely because Tanaka and Kiyoko are busy being a couple." You tease.

"You're lonely too aren't you?" Nishinoya bumps his shoulder against yours. "C'mon, let's go seashell collecting." Nishinoya pulls you by the arm and pulls you towards the shoreline. "Bet I can find prettier ones than you." Nishinoya sticks his tongue out. 

You narrow your eyes on him, smirking. "Fine. Challenge accepted." The two of you keep your eyes down on the sand, looking for any seashells worthy of being deemed pretty.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi walk along the shoreline, their stroll distances themselves from the busy crowd behind them. Yamaguchi feels the subtle wave crashing against his feet, his stomach fluttering with butterflies. 

"So, what did you want to talk about Tadashi?" Tsukishima sits down on a flat rock that is surrounded by several large boulders. The sound of crashing waves hit against the rocks and a gentle breeze flutters their hair. 

Kiyoko and Tanaka who are on the other side of the boulder, freeze in the middle of their makeout session. Tanaka freezes up, his face heating up. Kiyoko raises a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet.

Yamaguchi nervously sits next to Tsukishima. The wind seems harsher when they're closer to the waves. 

"If it's about Y/N, I don't want to talk about it." Tsukishima leans over, clasping his hands together and staring out towards the ocean. Yamaguchi slowly parts his lips, feeling the coldness of the wind against his bare chest. "It's actually about us." Yamaguchi softly speaks up. 

Tanaka widens his eyes, jaw dropping, he mouths the words over to Kiyoko. "What is going on?!" Kiyoko who also looks surprised, shrugs her shoulders. "Should we sneak away?" She mouths her lips to Tanaka who adamantly shakes his head. He's too curious about this conversation. 

"Us? What about us? I think we're doing fine, right?" Tsukishima turns to look at Yamaguchi, noticing his conflicted expression. Yamaguchi's eyes are downcast. "We've been close friends for years now Tsukki." Yamaguchi purses his lips together, trying to sort out his disarrayed thoughts. "Yeah." Tsukishima keeps his eyes on Yamaguchi. 

"You know I care a lot about you, right?" Yamaguchi tightens his hands into fists. 

"Oh my god." Tanaka mouths his words to Kiyoko. Kiyoko blushes when she listens to Yamaguchi. "Is he confessing???" Tanaka whisper yells becomes muffled by the crashing sound of waves. Kiyoko covers her flushing face. She feels like they're intruding in a moment they shouldn't be. 

"Well yeah. I care about you too Tadashi. We're bro's." Tsukishima is confused on where Yamaguchi is leading this conversation. "If you're worried that you won't have time for me when you confess to the girl you like, I'll be fine. I won't act up like Y/N." 

Yamaguchi forces his eyes shut, a frown deepening on his face. Tsukishima is taken aback by how pained Yamaguchi is handling his words. He places a hand on Yamaguchi's arm. "Tadashi, you're handling this a bit odd. Why are you making a face like that?" The hammering in Yamaguchi's heart aches and he feels suffocated. His body starts to tremble under Tsukishima's touch. 

With a dry voice, Yamaguchi confesses his feelings. "Tsukki you idiot. You're the one I like." 

Tsukishima widens his eyes, his mind blanks over.

Yamaguchi forces his eyes open and turns to look at Tsukishima's dilated eyes. "It's not a girl that I like. It's you. I like you Tsukishima Kei." Yamaguchi cries out, his tears trickling down his face. 

Tanaka and Kiyoko both cover each others mouths, both staring at one another bewildered. 

"W-What?" Tsukishima stammers out, he looks completely confused and his mind is struggling to process Yamaguchi's words. 

"I've liked you for so long Tsukki. I thought it was just a friendly kind of love but it evolved over the years. I don't feel this strongly towards anyone else. Being by your side makes me happy to wake up every morning. When you're upset, so am I. I also get irritatingly jealous whenever Y/N is around. I hate to admit it but lately when she's not around you I feel happy." Yamaguchi slowly slurs his words, sobbing in between sentences. "I've only been kind to her because she's our childhood friend. If she was just anyone else, I wouldn't bother." 

Tsukishima silently listens to Yamaguchi's outpouring feelings, his mind not able to process things quickly. 

"Y/N..." Kiyoko whispers her name sadly, lowering her hand down from Tanaka's lips. 

"Are you sure Tadashi?" Tsukishima seems in disbelief to Yamaguchi's emotion. His words hurting Yamaguchi's feelings. "Are you sure you're not just confused?" 

"Confused?" Yamaguchi scoffs at the thought. "These feelings have haunted me for years Tsukki. I'm not confused. My feelings for you are real. Should I prove it to you?"

Tanaka and Kiyoko both stare at one another in shock again, hearing a silence in Yamaguchi's and Tsukishima's conversation.

Yamaguchi leans over, cupping Tsukishima's face and pressing his lips against Tsukishima's. Tsukishima widens his eyes, paralyzed from the kiss. Yamaguchi continues to kiss him, tears staining his face. 

During your seashell scavenging, you find yourself losing sight of Nishinoya. You've walked far away from the others when you raise your eyes up to see where you are. Upon raising your eyes, the seashells in your hands drop from your grasp. 

"T...Tadashi?" You weakly say his name, seeing the back of his head close to Tsukishima's face. Even from this angle you can tell that they're kissing. Yamaguchi slowly turns around when he hears you call out his name.

Your heart drops when you see the freckled face guy.

_These two were having this kind of relationship?_

That makes sense to why Yamaguchi stuck by Tsukishima's side. Yamaguchi pulls his hand away from Tsukishima's face when he notices you staring at him. Your eyes stare at the two in horror, tears sliding down your face. 

"Sorry for interrupting you two." You manage to speak up, your heart shattering into a million pieces. The amount of pain that weighs in your chest makes it hard for you to breath. Not wanting to see their faces, you turn around, running back to where you came from. 

Tsukishima seems to regain his composure. "WAIT, Y/N." He hurries up to his feet, chasing after Y/N but Yamaguchi stops him, grabbing onto his wrist.

"Where are you going Tsukki?" Yamaguchi calls out to him, gripping onto him. Tsukishima stares at Yamaguchi's glossed over eyes. "Why are you chasing after Y/N?" Yamaguchi cries out. "You said so yourself that she's not a girl in your eyes. SO WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AFTER HER NOW?!" 

Tsukishima glares at Yamaguchi, ripping his wrist away from him. "So you heard us this the morning?" Tsukishima clicks his tongue, ignoring Yamaguchi's question and hurrying after Y/N. Tsukishima spots Y/N running frantically with her hands wiping across her face. She takes a turn and runs into the ocean. His eyes widen and he grows in panic.

_Y/N didn't know how to swim so why is she willingly going into the water?_

"Y/N!" Tsukishima calls out to her but she doesn't hear him from the sound of the crashing waves. 

Your body feels as if it's on fire so you run towards the ocean hoping the water would cool you down. You go further into the ocean, taking in a deep breath to lower your entire body into the ocean. Closing your eyes, you constantly see an image of Yamaguchi kissing Tsukishima. The image hurts you considerably. 

You release your held breath, screaming into the water which causes the salty water to enter your throat. Bubbles form at the surface of the water and you feel rough arms lifting your waist up. The salty taste of the ocean makes you choke and cough.

"Y/N, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?!" A loud voice shouts into your ear. Your eyes flutter open to see Tsukishima, his eyes clouded over with fear. 

"Why are you even here?!" You shout at Tsukishima, attempting to push him away but he holds you tightly against him. "GO BACK TO TADASHI."

Tsukishima furrows his brows together, he angrily seals your lips with his. Your taken aback for a second before you slap him across the face. "W-Why?" You weakly cry out. "Why are you kissing me?!" Tsukishima feels Y/N weakly pushing against his chest. "I don't understand what's going on." You close your eyes again, your tears mixing in with the ocean against your face. 

"I can't go back to Tadashi when the girl I like is trying to drown herself." Tsukishima's trembling voice speaks to you, his eyes soften when he looks at you. You freeze, unsure if you heard him correctly. Slowly opening your eyes back up, you see the tears sliding against Tsukishima's cheeks. Your chest tightens and you can only respond with silence. "I'm tired of you running away before I get a chance to say anything Y/N." Tsukishima's arms tighten around you, he pulls you close. "Luckily, you can't escape from me now. So quietly listen to me." 

Your lip twitches at his command. Tsukishima's large hand presses your head against him, your ear pressing against his bare chest. You can clearly hear his fast heart rate. "You should know I'm bad with my words Y/N. I know I've said some horrible things to you but you're usually the one who can brush it off. I say the opposite things of what I actually mean sometimes." Tsukishima strokes your wet hair, his deep voice rumbling from his throat. 

"I do see you as a girl. I'm just an idiot who's ashamed to admit these feelings I have for you." Tsukishima feels you tense from his hold, he slowly pulls you away from him to look at you directly. "I like you Y/N...You nearly gave me a shock when I saw you running into the ocean. How can you selfishly try to kill yourself before I confess my feelings to you?" His golden brown eyes narrow at you, a deep frown on his face and his tears hit against the surface of the ocean. 


	14. Likes and Apologies

Your eyes downcast towards the water around you. Tsukishima carefully cups your face with his hands, he lifts your face up to look at him. "The guy you like...who is it?" Tsukishima searches your eyes for an answer. "I'm sure I'll be better than whoever he is."

You quietly giggle, averting your eyes to the right. Tsukishima knits his brows together, squishing your cheeks together. "What's so funny Y/N?"

You place your hands on top of Tsukishima's large ones, prying his fingers off of your face. Lowering his hands under the water, you slap your hands against his face, making him wince. "I like you Kei. For someone who's smart, you're really clueless when it comes to my emotions."

Tsukishima grows quiet, his eyes wavering when he looks at you in disbelief. "Why else am I always so hurt when you make fun of me?" You grumble, pulling your hands away from him. Turning your back against him, you attempt to return to the surface. You only then notice how far you've drifted. You coyly turn back to Tsukishima, nibbling your bottom lip. "Help me back to the shore."

Tsukishima pulls himself out of his shock, blinking a few times. "Wait, the person you like is me and not Tadashi?"

Lifting an eyebrow up, you stare at Tsukishima confused. "Why would it be Tadashi? He's up your ass more than I am his." Tsukishima gives you a deadpan look from your choice of words. You clear your throat, looking at Tsukishima. "I like you Kei."

A heat creeps onto Tsukishima's face when he hears your tender voice. "But, I think we need to clear the air up with Tadashi. It's only fair. Until then, my feelings for you are on standstill." The corners of Tsukishima's lips twitch, wanting to turn into a frown. He quietly nods his head. Y/N is right. He has to properly decline Tadashi's confession.

You groan in front of him, running your fingers through your wet hair. "Things are going to be weird between the three of us, aren't they?" Tsukishima extends his hand towards your cheek, gently grazing his thumb against your face. You startle from how delicate his fingers brush against you. Tsukishima brings your attention back to him, a lop-sided smile on his face.

"We'll get through it."

His words give you an odd sense of comfort. You find yourself smiling to Tsukishima's words.

"Okay." Is all you can muster to answer. Tsukishima laces his fingers with yours and he helps you back to the surface. Once the two of you reach the shoreline, Nishinoya spots you in a frantic. "Y/L/N, THERE YOU ARE." Nishinoya stops in front of you, hunching over and panting harshly. "How'd you get all the way out here?" He looks up and notices Tsukishima beside you. Tsukishima remains calm with his emotions. "Oh? Were you two out in the ocean by yourself?" Nishinoya forms a mischievous smirk.

You notice the shells in Nishinoya's hand, reaching out for one to change the topic. "Hey! Where'd you find this sand dollar?" Nishinoya easily gets distracted, eyeing the shell in your fingers. He reaches for it but you bolt into a run. "Y/L/N!! THAT'S MY FIND YOU LITTLE JERK." Nishinoya kicks his feet against the sand, chasing after you. Tsukishima quietly watches Y/N run, a smile on his face.

"Troublemaker." Tsukishima chuckles lowly. He turns his eyes over to where Yamaguchi previously was. Biting his bottom lip, he walks back to the boulders.

Tsukishima's chest tightens and he's unsure how to explain himself to Yamaguchi. His brows furrow together when he thinks back to how desperately Yamaguchi kissed him. He was completely paralyzed when it happened. Running his fingers through his blonde hair, he ruffles his wet slick back hair. To his surprise, Yamaguchi is still there. Sitting quietly and staring out into the ocean with glossed over eyes.

"Tadashi." Tsukishima quietly calls out to his friend. Yamaguchi slowly turns to look at Tsukishima, not saying a word. Tsukishima silently walks back to the rock and sits himself down next to Yamaguchi. The two sharing an awkward silence.

"Y/N...you like her." Yamaguchi is the first one to speak. Tsukishima bites his inner cheek when he hears Yamaguchi's statement. Taking in the silence, Yamaguchi draws out a long exhale. "In the end...I can't compete against her." Tsukishima knits his brows together, biting his bottom lip. "Don't say that."

Yamaguchi eyes Tsukishima from the corner of his eye. "But it's true. I kind of figured things will be like this anyway." A pained smile forms on Yamaguchi's face. His eyes lower to the sand beneath his feet. "When I saw her peaceful sleeping face, I felt a slight skip in my heart." Yamaguchi looks over at Tsukishima. "We have a beautiful friend, it's bound for one of us to fall for her."

Tsukishima feels his cheeks heat up a bit. "I...I guess." Another awkward silence looms the conversation.

"Does she like you too?" Yamaguchi nervously asks his next question, his fingers gripping onto the rock beneath him. Tsukishima shyly looks down to his lap, his lips part slightly. "Yeah..." 

A pained smile curls up onto Yamaguchi's face, his tears falling again. "T-That's good to hear. At least one of us gets to be happy." Yamaguchi's words deeply wound Tsukishima, a guilt eating at him. 

"We're not together though." Tsukishima speaks up, looking over to Yamaguchi who looks confused. His eyes question 'why'. Tsukishima presses his lips together, relaxing his tense shoulders. "Y/N...she wants to make sure everything will be okay between the three of us. She didn't want the two of us together until we talked it out with you." 

Yamaguchi's wavering eyes, force shut. His sobbing is louder now. He hides his face with the palm of his hands. "Y/N makes it difficult for me to despise her when she's always thinking about me first." Yamaguchi tries to control his meltdown but the pain in his chest hurts like no other. Tsukishima timidly places a hand on Yamaguchi's back, gently patting him. The kindness he receives from Tsukishima only makes him cry more. 

The two stay like this for a few minutes until Yamaguchi's tears are dried up. 

"Ready to head back Tadashi?" Tsukishima stands up, extending a hand to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi stares at the extended hand, accepting Tsukishima's offer. He pulls Yamaguchi up and the two pull their hands away to their sides. "I'm sure I have some explaining to do when I see Y/N." Yamaguchi forces on a smile, sighing. 

"She'll be patient with you. I've never seen her mad at you before." Tsukishima gives Yamaguchi a small smile, hoping his words can somewhat comfort him. Yamaguchi nods, placing his arms behind his head and staring at the bright blue sky. The sky completely the opposite of his cloudy mood. 

The two quietly walk back to the main part of the beach, the sound of the crowd replacing the peacefulness of the crashing waves. Yamaguchi easily spots Y/N, she sits under the umbrella by herself, her eyes staring towards the ocean. The two slow their footsteps when they stare at her from a distance. Yamaguchi clenches his hands into fists, feeling nervous. Tsukishima's large hand squeezes Yamaguchi's shoulder, taking a bit of his tension away. "I'll be at the beach house." Nodding his head, Yamaguchi watches Tsukishima walk away from his side. 

Taking a deep breath, Yamaguchi walks over to Y/N. 

"Is that spot taken?" A voice calls out from beside you. You pull your eyes away from the ocean to look up. You're startled when you see Yamaguchi with a half smile. Shaking your head, you pat to the towel beside you. "It's free." You nervously smile at him. Yamaguchi quietly walks around to sit next to you, he brings one knee up to his chest and leans over it. Unsure where to look, you return your gaze back forward, feeling your chest tighten slightly. Neither of you wanting to speak up first. 

Clearing your throat, you make small talk. "Nishinoya found some pretty shells earlier. I tried to take one of them but he snatched it right back." 

"Oh? He's so selfish." Yamaguchi lightly chuckles, noticing how stressed Y/N looks at attempting small conversation. You look over to Yamaguchi, a small smile on your face. "We should go seashell hunting later in the evening when the weather is cooler Tadashi." Yamaguchi raises his eyebrows in surprise from her invitation. He's amazed at how brave Y/N being in front of him, despite knowing his feelings for Tsukishima and probably knowing the rejection he received. "You're too kind to me Y/N." Tears form in the corner of his eyes again and your body freezes. 

"How can you continue to talk to me as if I didn't hurt you earlier?" Yamaguchi whimpers out, turning his entire attention towards you. 

"Isn't the answer obvious Tadashi? We're best friends." Your answer breaks Yamaguchi down further, a deep frown etches onto his face and the tears sprinkle down his cheeks.

"I don't deserve that title." Yamaguchi says between sniffles. Your brows knit together and you extend your hand towards Yamaguchi's face, brushing his tears away with your thumb. Clenching onto his face, you make him stare at you. "Now you're just trying to hurt me." You softly say. Yamaguchi silently stares at you with glossy eyes, his tears falling against the back of your hand. "You did hurt me Tadashi. But who am I to blame you for having feelings for Kei." Lowering your eyes, you whisper the next sentence. "I'm sure you were much more afraid than I was when I noticed my feelings." 

Yamaguchi feels Y/N's hands loosen their grip on his face. His hands carefully cover her small ones, giving them a light squeeze. "I was." Yamaguchi aches out, your eyes flick back onto his face. His eyes waver and his lips tremble, you watch his brows knit together.

_Seeing Yamaguchi vulnerable like this breaks your heart._

Lowering your hands from his face, you wrap them around his neck, embracing Yamaguchi into a tight hug. Yamaguchi's breath hitches from your embrace. With trembling hands, he wraps his arms around your waist, crying into your shoulder. The smell of the salty ocean from Y/N's hair intoxicates Yamaguchi's nose. 

"I'm proud of you Tadashi." You whisper into his ear, feeling your chest ache slightly. "I'm also sorry that I'm the reason why you're not happy." A frown forms on your lips, you bite your inner cheek to avoid the tears that are pushing through. Yamaguchi silently shakes his head beside you, tightening his hold on you. "Don't apologize Y/N. I'm more cruel than you see me as." Yamaguchi whimpers out, his hand clenches the back of your swimsuit.

"I had moments of happiness when you and Tsukki would argue. When we started to distance ourselves from you, I was grateful to have him to myself. These selfish actions of mine hurt you in the process." 

You grow quiet from Yamaguchi's words, but your hold on him doesn't waver. You try to put yourself in his shoes to understand his emotions. Feeling Yamaguchi pull away, you then loosen your hold on him. You stare at Yamaguchi, noticing how close his freckles are. His redden nose and swollen eyes sway your heart. "I want to see you and Tsukki happy, so don't hold yourself back because of me. Time will heal my heart. I don't want to be that selfish and not see my two close friends date each other." 

"I'm not going to do that. Not this soon." You retort but Yamaguchi flicks your forehead. "Are you pitying me now Y/N?" Yamaguchi lightly chuckles. You purse your lips, lowering your eyes. 

"N-Not exactly. I just..." You words drop short. 

"Aren't you looking forward to being Tsukki's girlfriend?" Yamaguchi asks, wiping away his last few tears. 

"I'm nervous." You murmur, running your fingers through your hair. "There's something I hid from the both of you and I don't know if he'll accept me when he finds out." Yamaguchi raises an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. "You hid something from us?" 

You reflexively wrap your arms around your waist, biting your bottom lip. Yamaguchi notices Y/N's defensive response, his eyes curiously staring at her waist and her troubled expression. 

"Something happened to me when I was four. This incident was the reason why I was covered up from head to toe when we were kids." Your words weighed heavily in your throat. Yamaguchi notices Y/N's frightened eyes when she recalls the memory. Several thoughts run through his mind and he's hesitant to touch her. 

"I think Tsukki should be the one to hear this first. He's the one you love, right?" Yamaguchi softly speaks up to Y/N, noticing her glossed over eyes glance at him. "Tell me after you speak to him about it." The corner of Yamaguchi's lip turn upward into a gentle smile. "I'm sure Tsukki will be able to comfort you in a way I can't." 

You blush at the thought, averting your eyes from Yamaguchi. 

"Let's head back. I'm sure he's getting annoyed by himself in the beach house with the others in there." Yamaguchi dryly chuckles, sitting up to grab the towel underneath him. You nod along, picking up your towel and lifting the sun umbrella out of the sand. Yamaguchi takes the umbrella out of your hands, clasping it close. 

"Thanks for listening to me Y/N." Yamaguchi speaks up, walking ahead. You stare at his back, a smile on your face. "Of course Tadashi. I like you too much to hate you." You cheerfully say, hurrying over to his side. 

"I like you too." Yamaguchi smirks. "I'm sure if Tsukki heard us now, he would take it the wrong way." The two of you laugh with each other, making your way back to the beach house with a weight lifted off your chests. 


	15. Did I stutter, Y/N?

Closing your eyes, you feel the warmth of the hair dryer against your damp hair. After returning back with Yamaguchi, you went upstairs to shower. The beach house sounds more quiet than usual with everyone doing their own thing. Opening the door to leave the bathroom, the room paints in a beautiful orange to pink hue. 

You change into something more comfortable, a white tee and a pair of pink silk pajama shorts. A faint knock can be heard at your door. Raising an eyebrow, you curiously walk over to the door, opening it. 

Tsukishima stands in front of your bedroom door, his hand lowering to his side. Looking up into his golden brown eyes, you tilt your head. "What's up?" 

"Can I come in?" Tsukishima whispers. You curiously stand on your tiptoes to peer past him, not seeing anyone downstairs in the living room. Stepping to the side, you let Tsukishima in. "How'd your talk with Tadashi go?" Tsukishima asks, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. You close the door behind you, walking over to Tsukishima and taking a seat beside him. 

"We said we liked each other." You cheekily say, a devilish smirk on your face. Tsukishima widens his eyes slightly before glaring at you. His fingers reach over to pinch your cheek. You grab hold of his fingers with both hands, lowering his hand back to his side. "In a friendly way of course. Tadashi gave us his blessing to date, if that's what you're curious about." Your voice trails off, a distant look in your eyes. 

"Then why do you look so hesitant Y/N? If our feelings are mutual...wouldn't you want us to be together?" Tsukishima reaches over for your hand but you hide them behind your back. He feels a bit hurt by your action and you're quick to apologize. "There's something I've kept a secret from you two. Tadashi suggested that I tell you first." You hesitantly speak up, afraid to look at Tsukishima directly. His brows furrow together, anxiety running down his spine. 

"A secret?" Tsukishima repeats your words in a deep tone. You quietly nod, biting your bottom lip. Feeling very aware of your closeness, you give yourself some distance between Tsukishima. He grows anxious from the way you're behaving. 

"Something happened to me before I met you two. An event that happened when I was four." You dig your nails into your palm, feeling the prickling anxiety travel into your palms. "And I'm scared you'll look at me differently when I tell you." Your lip twitches into a frown, you rest your hands on the blanket, clenching onto it tightly. 

Tsukishima silently stares at Y/N's troubled expression. He takes note of her body language and keeps his distance. "I'm sure whatever it is won't change how I feel about you Y/N." Tsukishima speaks softly towards Y/N, his eyes confidently gaze over her face. 

You pull your arms close to you, wrapping them around your waist. "Even if what I tell you is ugly?" Your lips quiver when your words loosely slip from your tongue. Tsukishima grows more anxious when he stares at Y/N's closed off emotions. His brows knit together and he feels a sharp pain in his heart when he thinks of the possible situations that's made her keep a secret this long from him.

"Did..." Tsukishima winces when he thinks about a dark thought. "Did someone violate you Y/N?" He recalls the several times he's joked about Y/N's appearance and every time she reacted strongly. He never thought twice to why she acted that way and pushed it off as nothing. But now he regrets his words. Tsukishima then recalls how Y/N covered every part of her body in elementary school. How she never attended any swimming classes during P.E. She didn't start to show more of her skin until late middle school. With all of these thoughts piling up, Tsukishima wears a scowl on his face. Cursing himself for being inconsiderate. The corner of his eyes start to sting with tears. 

"Hey." You call out to Tsukishima, noticing his conflicted expression. You're unsure what Tsukishima's thoughts are but it seems like he's misunderstood you. "No one put their hands on me Kei." 

Tsukishima exhales slowly, his tense shoulders relaxing. He anticipates your next word, not completely relaxed. 

"It's more of something that did." Speaking aloud, you faintly remember the amount of pain you felt across your skin when your mom would slice you with the kitchen knife. Goosebumps litter your arms and you tighten your hold around your waist. Pursing your lips, you inhale sharply. "Remember the day you saw those marks on my arm when we were walking home from school back in elementary?" 

Tsukishima jogs his memory, closing his eyes to recall the moment. Y/N, Yamaguchi, and him were walking Y/N home like any other day. That day was especially hot so Y/N tied her hair up. Her sleeve of her sweater drooped slightly and that's when Tsukishima noticed all the scars against her skin. When the two of them held eye contact, she fumbled with her sleeve. 

"I lied saying the dog next door did it." You continue, feeling your chest heavy. 

"And I believed you." Tsukishima quietly speaks. Nodding your head, the two of you look at one another. A faint smile on your face. "Because the dog next door was pretty rowdy, the lie looked believable." 

"And I didn't think anything more of it. Neither did Yamaguchi."

Lowering your eyes down to the floor, you nervously part your lips. "Ah..." You try to calm your anxiety, taking another deep breath and closing your eyes. "Sorry, just give me a moment." 

Tsukishima feels completely useless when he sees Y/N struggling to keep her composure. His eyes narrow down to her tightly clenched hands around her waist. The room slowly turns into a dark purple to blue. 

Your chest aches the more you recall the memory and you can hear the faint screams again. Your hand flies to your ears and a few tears trickle down your heated cheeks. Tsukishima doesn't feel comfortable sitting around anymore, his legs making him stand up to crouch in front of Y/N. You feel the weight of the bed, spring up. Slowly opening your eyes, you see Tsukishima staring at you with a pained expression. 

"Is it okay for me to touch you?" Tsukishima timidly asks. Not finding the words, you answer with a nod. Tsukishima carefully grabs hold of your hands, pulling them away from your ear. You feel his thumbs circling against the back of your hands. "If it's too much for you to talk about, I can wait for the day when you are comfortable Y/N." 

Feeling Tsukishima's warmth on your skin and his considerate words, you feel overwhelmed by his love. Digging your nails into your palm, you shake your head, tears falling against your lap. "No, I want to tell you now." You croak out your words. 

"Okay." Tsukishima gives your hand a squeeze. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, you regain some composure. Your eyes flick over to Tsukishima's face.

"I nearly died by my mother." Your lips tremble when you say those words aloud. Tsukishima wears a stunned expression, his golden brown eyes stare at you in shock. "It was like any other night where she prepared dinner and the two of us would wait for dad to come home. That day specifically I felt something was off with her when dad left for work that day." You pause, feeling fear evade you when you unlock the entire event from the back of your mind. The excruciating sound of the knife cutting against the cutting board rings in your ear.

Parting your lips again to speak, you feel Tsukishima squeeze your hand again. "I drew a family portrait in hopes it would cheer her up. When I went over to her to show it off, the way she looked at me was horrifying. It didn't feel like I was looking at someone I call mom. She looked like something possessed her. She kept chanting these words over and over and I couldn't understand her until it was a bit too late."

Biting your lip, you squeeze your eyes shut. "It's all your fault." You repeat the words over and over, pulling your hands away from Tsukishima to cover your ears again. "I couldn't understand why she said that to me and before I could get away from her, she raised the kitchen knife towards me." Your trembling hands brush against your shirt where your abdomen is.

"I screamed and yelled at her, asking her what is she doing but she blamed me for being the reason she's miserable. What four year old wants to hear that from their mom?!" You sob, crying out. Tsukishima stares at Y/N with furrowed brows, his hand extending towards her head to stroke her hair. He feels Y/N's body tremble beneath his touch. 

"It's my fault she lost everything when she gave birth to me." Gasping for air, you hide your face with your hands. 

"No, you can't possibly say that Y/N." Tsukishima whispers, he frowns when he looks at her. Standing up, Tsukishima leans over to embrace her. 

"She wouldn't stop cutting me with the knife. No matter how much I cried and screamed. I really thought I was done for when she deepened her cut against my abdomen again." Your hands clutch onto Tsukishima's shirt weakly. The smell of linen and oak calms your anxiety. "I spent months in the hospital to recover but no amount of therapy can help me stop the flashbacks." 

Lowering your hand from Tsukishima, you pull away from his embrace. Placing a hand on your abdomen, you frown with tears kissing your cheeks. "I'm haunted by the scar every day. I feel so ugly whenever I look at it." 

Tsukishima crouches back down, his large hand covering your trembling one. "Can I see it?"

Your eyes nervously look over to Tsukishima. The moonlight illuminates the two of you and you feel your chest tighten. No one's seen the scar since then besides you. Tsukishima strokes your cheek with his other hand. "One scar won't change how much I like you Y/N." 

"Are you sure?" You mutter out with a frown, sniffling. Tsukishima forms a smile on his lips, his eyes soften when he looks at you. "More sure than I am about anything." Feeling your heart skip from Tsukishima's words, you nervously lift up your shirt. You avert your eyes away from Tsukishima. 

Tsukishima quietly gulps when he sees the large diagonal cut across Y/N's abdomen. The scar leaving a dark mark against her smooth skin. Gingerly, he brushes his fingers against the scar. He feels Y/N stiffen from his touch, the two blushing. 

Feeling too embarrassed, you bite your bottom lip.

"Have you ever tried to see this scar as a victory against your mother? This scar is a visible representation that you can survive anything."

You slowly turn your attention back to Tsukishima, his fingers pull away from your scar and he pulls the hem of your shirt down. He sees Y/N's bewildered expression and dryly chuckles, sitting beside her. "I'm guessing you haven't." Tsukishima strokes your hair, tucking a few stray hairs behind your ear. You ponder a response but your mind blanks out.

Tsukishima envelopes you into a hug again, one hand stroking the back of your head. "Thank you for sharing this with me Y/N. I'm sorry you had to keep this to yourself for 14 years."

Hearing the sweetness in Tsukishima's voice makes you melt in his arms. You slowly wrap your arms around his waist, hiding your face in the nook of his neck. "Thank you for listening to me Kei." Your breath tickles Tsukishima's neck, a burning heat creeping across his face. His arms tighten around you and he nods his head. 

"Hearing your story just makes me want to protect and love you more than I already planned to." Tsukishima's words muffle into your hair, his lips kissing the side of your head. 

"Ah..." You grow extremely shy, too nervous to move out of his arms. "L-Love?" You stammer out. Tsukishima pulls away slightly to get a better look at you. His golden brown eyes gaze lovingly into your eyes.

"Did I stutter Y/N?" Tsukishima grumbles out. "I'm kissing you now, don't squirm." 

"W-Wait!" You try to retort but your voice is muffled when Tsukishima's soft pink lips clash onto your trembling ones. Your eyelids heavy and you nervously return Tsukishima's kiss. The moment easily leaves as quick as it crashed, you're in a daze when Tsukishima looks at you. 

"You're my girlfriend starting today." Tsukishima whispers, a devilish smirk on his face. You purse your lips, furrowing your brows together. "You didn't even ask me out in a cute way." Grumbling, you look away. 

"Did you have a whole scenario play in your head for that moment?" Tsukishima teases you, noticing your face flushing red. "Yes!" You cry out, pulling yourself away from Tsukishima. "I'm leaving." You get up, walking over to the bedroom door. Tsukishima chuckles when he looks at you. 

"You're so fun to tease Y/N."


	16. Call you...what?!

Ignoring Tsukishima, you hurry downstairs. Tsukishima follows after you, his hands in his short pockets. "Where are you going Y/N?" 

"Finding Tadashi." You huff out. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow from your words, curious to your statement. "I told him to come seashell collecting with me earlier." Tsukishima snickers when he hears the reason. 

"What are you? A kid?" Tsukishima smirks, looking at your small frame. You stop short in front of their bedroom door. Yamaguchi looks surprised when he opens the door to see the two of you. Seeing Yamaguchi, a smile forms on your face, you extend your hand out to grab his wrist, pulling him past Tsukishima. 

"W-Wait, what's going on Y/N?!" Yamaguchi stutters, keeping up with your urgency. 

"Did you forget what I said earlier?" Sliding on your sandals at the foyer, you wait for Yamaguchi to put his on. Tsukishima purses his lips when he stares at your hand against Yamaguchi's wrist, a slight irritation creeping onto his face. "You were serious about the seashells?" Yamaguchi mumbles out, feeling you pull him outside the door. The two of you bump into Kiyoko and Tanaka, the two holding plates of watermelon slices.

"Where are you two off to?" Tanaka asks. "We cut up a watermelon as a snack while we wait for Daichi and Suga to come back with dinner." 

"We'll be back before then." You answer them. Your eyes turn over to Yamaguchi who's behind you. "Let's go Tadashi." 

Yamaguchi bows slightly to the others before being pulled away. Tsukishima hurries to follow after the two. "WAIT, I'm coming too." Tsukishima tries to contain his voice to a low tone but there's a slight rush to his words. Kiyoko and Tanaka both stare at the three scurrying off towards the beach.

"Did they all make up?" Tanaka whispers over to Kiyoko. She shrugs, stepping inside the beach house and walking over to the island table to place her plates of watermelon slices down. 

"Guys! Come eat some watermelon!" Tanaka shouts towards the hallway. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

The wind is much harsher than you thought when the three of you are walking along the shoreline. Yamaguchi wraps his arms around himself, rubbing his hands against his arms. "I think we should head back. It's no good if all three of us get sick."

"Pfft, it's not..." You shiver, the clothes on your back isn't enough to keep you warm. Tsukishima shakes his head, walking closer to you to block some of the wind from your right side. You glance over at Tsukishima, a blush streaking across your face from his subtle kindness. 

"Okay, maybe it is." You mumble. "But...I'm happy the three of us can be together like this." A soft whisper meets both of their ears when they look over at you, a gentle smile on your face. "Who knows if we'll manage to keep in contact after graduation." 

Yamaguchi raises an eyebrow from your words. "Are you going somewhere? You're talking as if you're not going to the same university as us." Tsukishima also looks wary from your words. Pursing your lips, you clasp your hands together behind your back, staring up at the darkness of the sky. "Unlike you two, I don't have anything I'm passionate about. I'm not sure what I'll be doing when I attend a university." 

"So, you'll just continue to work at the yakitori restaurant?" Tsukishima asks. The smile on your face falters slightly, you weren't exactly sure what your future will be like. You have no plan and it scared you. Yamaguchi takes notice in Y/N's silence, his lips pressing into a fine line. He glances over at Tsukishima, neither are sure what to say to her.

_Is there something they can even say?_

You respond with a shrug, exhaling loudly. "I'll figure something out. I didn't come out here to feel depressed." You dig your nails into your palms to calm the anxiety that crawls in you. You turn your attention to Yamaguchi, slowing down your steps. "About the secret I hid from you and Kei. You were right, Kei managed to comfort me." 

Yamaguchi slows his steps, standing beside you. He wears a small smile when he looks at you. Tsukishima gives the two of you some distance, turning his attention towards the beach. "That's good to hear." Yamaguchi whispers, his eyes glancing over at Tsukishima's back. 

"The secret I was hiding from you." Your words trail off, your hand holding the hem of your shirt. "It's a story I hope Kei can explain in more detail to you later. I don't have the strength to repeat the whole story again so it's better if I show you." Yamaguchi freezes up when he looks at where your hand lays, his jaw slightly ajar.

"W-Wait, what are you doing Y/N?!" His cheeks heat up and he covers his eyes. Biting your bottom lip, Yamaguchi's shyness also makes you nervous. 

"I'm not doing anything weird to you Tadashi!" You murmur out. "This is more embarrassing for me than it is for you." Tsukishima curiously turns to look at the two, feeling the same irritation earlier again by how comfortable the two are speaking. He shouldn't feel this way when the three of them have been such close friends for years. But it's different now that Y/N isn't just a friend. Tsukishima fights with himself, wanting to interrupt the two but he also has to respect the distance. 

Yamaguchi calms his racing heart when you nervously lift your shirt just enough for him to see the large scar. His nerves dissipate when he stares at the scar. Feeling anxious from Yamaguchi's lurking stare, you lower your shirt back down. "That...looks painful." Yamaguchi says with a frown, his voice low. You nod to his words, feeling Tsukishima's presence return to your side. "Now it all makes sense to why you were always insecure when Tsukki made fun of your appearance." Yamaguchi turns his attention upwards to Tsukishima. 

Scrunching his face together, Tsukishima bites his bottom lip. "Hey. Don't say that so bluntly." Tsukishima grumbles. 

"You were afraid Tsukki wouldn't like you because of the scar?" Yamaguchi returns his attention to Y/N, seeing her nod her head. 

"Idiot." Tsukishima mutters, his hand pushing the back of your head down. Despite being pushy with you, his fingers gently stroke your hair. Yamaguchi notices the loving expression Tsukishima holds towards Y/N, his brows knitting together. Tsukishima's eyes and face are not corresponding the same emotion. "Our feelings are mutual but you kept on throwing excuses for us to not be together." His hand now ruffles Y/N's hair in annoyance. 

"Kei!" You call out his name, pushing his hand away from your head. Tsukishima grabs your wrist in his hand, careful to not grip too roughly. "I'm not letting you run off anymore Y/N. Someone needs to teach you to stay still and listen to others." 

Both you and Yamaguchi tense up from the deep stern tone Tsukishima says towards you. 

"Tsukki, sounds a bit commanding Y/N." Yamaguchi squeaks out. Regaining your composure, you pull your wrist away from Tsukishima, stepping back. "Do you think Kei is into _that_ kind of role-play?" You curiously look over at Yamaguchi who flushes red. Yamaguchi covers his face, shaking his head. Tsukishima stares at the two annoyed. 

"You two are horrible." Tsukishima grumbles, crossing his arms. 

"He didn't deny it." You point out. Tsukishima's piercing glare shoots through you. Yamaguchi groans into his palm. "SHUT UP Y/N. I DIDN'T WANT THIS VISUAL." The sweetness of your giggle calms Tsukishima's anger but only fuels the wild imaginations of Yamaguchi. 

"Let me make this clear Kei. I'm not going to listen to you so easily." You exclaim, crossing your arms to mimic him. Tsukishima sighs, lowering his arms and closing the distance between you. He wears a smirk when he looks down at you. "I already figured that. You're stubborn as hell." 

You smile in response, winking at him. "That makes things easier if you already know. Maybe I'll call you daddy now and then. Is that the kind of thing that excites you Kei?" 

"AHH!" Yamaguchi shouts after hearing your flirtatious tease. Tsukishima widens his eyes, his breath escaping him. You see the pink colors in his cheeks. His lips part slightly to say something but he closes them, his eyes looking conflicted. 

You anticipate whether he'll accept or turn the tables around to tease you. You hold a playful smile on your face when the silence drags on. Yamaguchi slowly lowers his hands away from his face to look at the two. Tsukishima's trademark smug smirk returns, making your smirk falter slightly. Tsukishima gingerly lifts your chin up. "Let me hear it."

"Hear what?" You hold your ground, clenching your hands into fists beside you. Yamaguchi is engrossed into the conversation, eyeing youY/N and Tsukishima. Tsukishima leans his face closer to yours, the rim of his glasses just a push away from the tip of your nose. 

With a husky tone, Tsukishima narrows his eyes on you. "Let me hear you call me daddy, Y/N."

Your confidence easily shatters when you hear Tsukishima's voice up close. Yamaguchi also seems to fall weak to Tsukishima's question, he wants to run away from the conversation but his legs have given up on him. 

Tsukishima is the one to see your face redden, noticing the silent gulp from your throat. Averting your eyes, you clear your throat. "Why do I always do this to myself." You murmur nervously under your breath.

_Just when you think you have the upper hand, Tsukishima easily takes it back from you._

Not like you had the upper hand to begin with. 

You feel his hand readjust, holding onto your jaw now. "Y/N." His taunting alluring voice speaks up again and you hate your heart for skipping. "I'll let you go if you just say it." 

"I can easily get out of your hold." You stubbornly retort back. Taking a step back, you feel Tsukishima's other hand grab both of your wrists, pulling you roughly back. 

"I'm not helping this time." Yamaguchi squeaks out to you, slowly taking a step back. "Tsukki is glaring at me to stay here."

Furrowing your brows together, Tsukishima's golden brown eyes flicker back to you.

_He's eating up every second of this and you're the one at fault._

You never seem to learn to not taunt Tsukishima. Biting your lip, you decide to muster up the most sexual voice you can to fight back against Tsukishima. 

You feel the heat rise from your cheeks to the tips of your ears. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath. 

_It's just a silly word._

Slowly opening your eyes, you stare at Tsukishima with hooded lids. Your lips tremble a bit when you part them, whispering. "Daddy...sorry if I'm upsetting you." Your brows furrow together and you stare at Tsukishima with pleading eyes. 

Yamaguchi silently screams, his jaw dropping. 

Tsukishima's breath hitches when he looks at Y/N, his brow twitching and his cheeks burn a bright tomato red. He pulls away from Y/N to cover the creeping smile on his face. Feeling his release, you slap your face with your hands. "AGH." You cry out. "Kei, you're such a pervert!" 

"WHAT?! I DIDN'T TELL YOU TO SAY ALL OF THAT." Tsukishima yells out, hiding his grin. 

"YOU BOTH ARE TOO MUCH. WHY ARE YOU EVEN TAUNTING ONE ANOTHER OVER SOMETHING LIKE THAT." Yamaguchi blurts out, not staring at the two.

"WIPE THAT SMILE OFF YOUR FACE KEI." Extending your hand, you pinch his cheeks. A warm chuckle escapes from Tsukishima, his hands easily capturing you. He hugs you against him, whispering into your ear. "I didn't know you were capable to talk so sexual like this Y/N." Tsukishima's voice huskily echoes in your ear, his lips kiss the side of your head before he pulls away. 

Unable to respond, you run away from him. "WE'RE LATE FOR DINNER." You shout out, leaving the two behind. 

"WAIT FOR US Y/N." Yamaguchi kicks his feet against the sand, chasing after Y/N. Tsukishima wears a gentle smile when he watches Y/N run, chuckling to himself he hurries after the two, calling out. "Y/N, YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM US AGAIN."


	17. Stuck on his mind

The remainder of the week at the beach house blurs together. You didn't find yourself alone with Tsukishima as much as you'd like but you cherished the time you have with the group. Suga grabs your suitcase out of the back of the SUV and walks you towards your front door. He rolls the suitcase over to you and you thank him for helping you.

Suga slides his hands into his pockets, a gentle gaze on your face. "Did you have fun this week?" 

The corner of your lips turn upward and you nod your head. "It was nice to see everyone together again." Suga nods to your words, grinning from ear to ear. His hand gently rests on the top of your head, a bewildered expression forms on your face. "So Tsukishima was the guy." Suga smirks at you. Your brows knit together in confusion to how he found out. Neither of you were particularly couple like after the night Tsukishima claimed you as his girlfriend.

"H-How'd you come to that conclusion?" You stutter, feeling Suga's hand being pulled away from your head. The two of you turn to see Tsukishima with his hand around Suga's wrist. "Suga, Daichi is calling for you." Tsukishima lowly speaks, letting go of Suga's wrist. Suga maintains his grin, not faltering from Tsukishima's glare. "Oh? I should get going then. Don't be a stranger and text me sometimes Y/L/N." Suga waves a goodbye and quickly runs over to the SUV. You watch Suga disappear before noticing the glare that Tsukishima is throwing at you. 

He scrunches his nose when your eyes land on his face. "Why are you looking at me like that? Shouldn't you go too Kei?"

Tsukishima presses his lips together, brows twitching. "Don't let anyone touch you." Tsukishima grumbles out, turning his back to you and hurrying off. Your eyes widen, unsure if you heard Tsukishima correctly.

_Did he step out of the car just to tell you that?_

"Also, don't text Suga." Tsukishima shouts out before hopping back into the SUV. You giggle at the thought of Tsukishima being jealous. This side of him is something you are surprised to see. You're about to unlock the front door with your house key when the door suddenly opens before you. "There's my precious daughter!" Dad envelopes you in a tight hug. You're surprised to see your dad at this time. 

"What are you doing up? It's still early." You hug your dad tightly, your voice muffled into his chest. He helps you with the suitcase and pulls you inside. To your surprise the house is spotless and there's no sign of alcohol bottles laying about. Dad notices your lurking examining and he pouts. "Are you surprised? Trust in your dad a bit Y/N." Dad lightly slaps your back. "So, how was your vacation? Did you miss me?" Dad drops your luggage off to the side and you walk over to the fridge for something to drink. A smile forms on your face when you talk about your vacation. "Of course I missed you dad." You giggle from his question. "It was nice to see everyone again. Tanaka and Kiyoko are dating and they're also engaged!" 

Dad widens his eyes, lips forming an 'O'. "Oh really? A lot's happened in a year for those two." You nod your head, sitting on the sofa next to your dad, resting your head on his shoulder. "Looks like they're pretty serious. I barely saw them even though we were all under one house. I feel bad for Noya though. He also had feelings for Kiyoko." Frowning, you think about Nishinoya and Yamaguchi. The two both having their heart broken.

"Oh! Suga is training to be a teacher at an elementary school. Apparently he's a catch for the single mothers."

"The young man who picked you up?" Dad asks, completely engrossed in the conversation. You nod your head, turning to face your dad and crossing your legs together. 

"Daichi and Asahi have been focusing on their own careers too. Asahi is taking university classes in Tokyo for fashion. Never would I think Asahi would go into that career field. For Daichi, he's planning to enroll in police academy. So we might see him patrol around here." A warm smile graces your face when you talk about the others. 

"What about Tsukishima and Yamaguchi? What did those two get up to during the trip?" Dad rests his elbow on the back of the sofa, turning sideways to look at you. "Well..." You pucker your lips together, eyeing the pillow to your left and picking it up to squeeze your anxiety out. Dad raises an eyebrow, hearing the change in Y/N's tone and expression. 

"Did something bad happen?" Dad sits up straight, feeling anxious. You have a lopsided frown on your face, shrugging. "Technically? But things are okay now. Or at least we're pretending they are." Your fingers run along the pillow. Inhaling deeply, you turn your eyes towards your dad. "Tadashi likes Kei." 

You wait for your dad's reaction, his expression is blank at first but the words gradually process in his mind. His jaw slowly drops and his eyes widen. You giggle at the slow reaction time your dad has. "How did Tsukishima react?" 

Your lips twitch, "I'm not really sure what went through his mind at first. I actually caught Tadashi kissing him." The thought still makes you sad when you recall the memory. Dad stiffens when he hears you continue on with the story. "It felt like I was invading their privacy so I ran away. An overwhelming sadness hit me directly in the heart." You point towards your heart, frowning when you look at your dad. 

"Were you upset that those two would push you away?" Dad strokes your hair while you shake your head. Biting your bottom lip, you feel the heat creep into your cheeks. "I was more heartbroken because I also like Kei." Dad's hand stops mid stroke and you hear his trembling breath. "Oh no, sorry Y/N." A frown forms on dads face and he furrows his brows together, unable to imagine the pain Y/N must've experienced. Shaking your head, a small smile forms on your face. "There's no need to feel sorry for me dad." Pulling the pillow over to your face, you hide your blushing expression. "Kei feels the same way about me. He ran after me, pulling me out of the ocean." 

"The ocean? What were you doing out there all of a sudden?" He pulls his hand away and raises an eyebrow. Lowering the pillow, you pucker your lips. 

"I felt like I was boiling over and figured the water would cool me off. Kei thought I was trying to suicide. I'm overemotional but not dramatic." You scoff at the thought. Dad chuckles at your adorable expression. "So, let me get this straight. You and Tsukishima both like each other. But Yamaguchi also likes Tsukishima. How did things unravel?" 

You feel nervous telling your dad that Tsukishima is your boyfriend. You clear your throat, staring at your fidgeting hands. "We both separately spoke to Tadashi and during the time of finding out Tadashi's feelings for Kei...I felt incredible guilty if Kei and I started going out. The thought must be painful for Tadashi." 

"I'm sure Tadashi isn't selfish enough to not let his two best friends be together." Dad comments and the corner of your lips curl into a smile when you hear him. "Yeah...he said something similar. But I wasn't content yet. I was afraid Kei wouldn't like me if he found out the ugly secret I kept quiet about." Your dad knew exactly what Y/N is mentioning, his eyes glossing over. You reach out to squeeze your dads hand. "It was scary to talk about the incident again...but I'm glad I did. I felt horrible for keeping such a secret from the two closest friends I have. I was worried about Kei looking at me indifferently for no reason." 

Your cheeks heat up again when you recall Tsukishima's words that night.

"Hearing your story just makes me want to protect and love you more than I already planned to." You softly whisper Tsukishima's words. Your hands fly towards your face and you squeal into your palms. 

Dad narrows his eyes on you, scrunching his nose. "This boy is a smooth talker. I wouldn't have guessed with how smug he looks all the time. I'm keeping an eye on that boy." Your phone vibrates in your shorts, you reach inside to look at the caller. "Oh, speak of the devil." A smirk grows on your face when you see the caller ID is Tsukishima. You quickly answer the phone. "Kei?" 

"Y/N." Tsukishima curtly responds to you with your name. 

"Is there a reason for your phone call? We just saw each other not too long ago." Dad looks at you expectantly, mouthing the words 'why'd he call?'. A silence answers your question, Tsukishima bites his lower lip and ruffles his hair. 

He grunts under his breath, furrowing his brows together, feeling irritated with himself. The two didn't get to spend any time together during the beach trip and he missed her already. But telling her that would just make him look clingy. He's usually the one who'd care less about spending time with others. His personality usually stand offish and arrogant.

**But, he's currently acting the opposite.**

Closing his eyes he visions Suga touching Y/N's head, a scowl on his face.

_Ugh, why is he getting jealous over something so small._

"Kei?" You call out his name again. "I'm going to hang up if you're just going to be quiet." Taunting him, you wait for his response.

"WAIT." Tsukishima shouts, making you wince. "I mean." You hear him grumble, sounding troubled. 

"Did you and Tadashi fight or something?" 

"No." Tsukishima bites his inner cheek, clenching his fingers into his palm with his free hand. "I just miss you Y/N."

Hearing Tsukishima's melancholy voice over the phone pulls at your heartstrings. You forget to breath until your dad pinches your redden cheek. "What did he say?" Your dad whispers, curiosity clouding over his face. "Ah..." You're too shy to repeat his words, nibbling your lip. "Is that your dad?" Tsukishima speaks up, recollecting his emotions together. 

"Yeah, he's sitting in front of me." You answer, glancing at your dad. 

"Is it okay if you hand him the phone? I have to ask him something." Tsukishima speaks sternly and you pass your phone over to your dad. He raises an eyebrow and points at your phone and then to him. You nod your head, urging for him to take the phone. "Ah, hello there Tsukishima." Dad speaks warmly, a grin on his face. 

"Hello, Mr. Y/L/N. Is it alright if I take Y/N out today?" Tsukishima's voice nervously cracks and he curses himself for sounding so weak. 

"Where to?" Dad turns to look at the clock on the wall that reads 11:23 AM. "You both had to wake up early to come back to Miyagi, you're adamant about going out today?"

Tsukishima bites down on his lip, the aching feeling of not being able to see Y/N until tomorrow bothered him. The week at the beach house spoiled him. Tsukishima had the luxury to see Y/N every day during their vacation and school wouldn't pick back up for another week to give him the chance to see her every day again. 

"Yes sir." Dad hears the weak reply from Tsukishima. "I'm just teasing you Tsukishima. Who am I to say if she can or can't go with you." Dad chuckles at his own joke. "You're my dad. You have that say." You scoff out, smiling at your dad. 

"Yeah but I'm a cool dad. Besides, if I said no, Tsukishima might grow to hate me. He sounds like a sad puppy right now." Dad mutters out, still speaking into your phone. "He can hear you dad." You point over to your phone and he stiffens. Awkwardly laughing, Dad speaks into the phone again. "Y/N is all yours for the day Kei. We'll see you in a bit." Dad hangs up the call and hands your phone back to you. 

"He's coming over?" You question, sliding your phone back into your pocket. Dad nods his head, ruffling your hair and standing up from the sofa. "Looks like you're stuck on his mind." Dad exhales, staring down at you with a gentle expression. "The day is finally here where I'll see my daughter date someone. I was afraid you'll grow old and lonely like your father here." 

Dad's words jab you in the chest, his tone holding heavy against his chest. You frown at the thought that your dad's given up on love ever since your mother. Dad pulls the corner of your lips upward. "Don't be sad Y/N. I'm blessed with having the role of your father. That's enough love to keep me happy. I'm going to take a nap before I have to go in later tonight. Don't have too much fun with Kei." Dad walks off towards the hallway. You quickly sit up and call out to him.

"Should I make you lunch before I leave?" 

Dad shakes his head. "I'll do it myself, enjoy your date Y/N."

"D-Date?" You stammer the word under your breath, hearing the doorbell ring. Oh, that was fast. You hurry up to your feet and walk over to the door, opening it. Tsukishima is hunched over, palms on his knees. His face is red and he's panting heavily. 

"Kei, did you run over here?" You stare at him in disbelief, your fingers wiping the sweat by his temple. Tsukishima reaches for your hand, staring up at you with his honey brown eyes. Between breaths he speaks up, "I had to see you as soon as possible." Your heart skips from his words. Tsukishima continues to surprise you with this different side of him. "Did you miss me?" You playfully say. 

"Yeah." 

You tense from his honesty, your words stuck in your throat. Tsukishima pulls you close to him, enveloping your small frame. The smell of linen and oak fills your nostrils, a smell you'll start to get accustomed to. Shyly smiling, you wrap your arms around his waist. "I'm not used to you being so honest with me Kei." Tsukishima stiffens, his cheeks tinging pink. His arms squeeze you tightly in response. "Shut up." 

"No."

Tsukishima purses his lips together, grumbling above you. "Are you trying to fight with me Y/N?" Turning your attention upward, you look up at Tsukishima. "What if I am?" You speak playfully, noticing his eyebrow twitch in response. His hand clenches against your shirt and without a warning, Tsukishima leans down to kiss you. 

"Mmph?!" Widening your eyes, you feel Tsukishima's lips against yours. Before pulling away, he bites your bottom lip. "Ah..." Your mind blanks out when you stare at Tsukishima. "When will you learn to not fight against me Y/N?" Tsukishima dryly chuckles, a smug smirk on his face. 

Blushing, you avert your eyes to the side. Clearing your throat, you try to regain composure, your stubbornness not wanting Tsukishima to think he's got the upper hand. "What if I'm purposely taunting you to get this kind of reaction from you?" You huff out. Tsukishima scoffs, lowering his arms from you. "You're not that smart to think that far ahead." 

"Fuck you Kei." You grumble out, a smile on your face. 

"I'm sure you'd like to do that." Tsukishima easily claps back. You're left speechless and bright as a tomato. Your instant reaction is to walk away from him but Tsukishima grabs your hand before you can. "Running away again?" He looks at you, tilting his head with a glint in his glasses. "No." You curtly say, the redness not leaving your face. "You came here to take me somewhere, right?" Changing the subject, you stare at the street. 

"Yeah." Tsukishima smiles when he looks at Y/N's side profile, the blush on her face makes his heart waver. "Let's go on our first date."


	18. Cat date

"Wait, you're really taking me out on a date?" The two of you walk side by side on the sidewalk. Tsukishima nods his head, the back of his hand gently brushes against your knuckles. Pursing your lips, you feel the heat in your face. "Aren't you just doing this in the spur of the moment, Kei?" Your lips pucker out.

Tsukishima smirks when he sees Y/N's let down face. "Let me guess, you had a different idea of our first date?"

You awkwardly clear your throat, walking a bit further ahead. "N-No." Tsukishima reaches out for your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. "Sorry not sorry for meeting your expectations." Huffing under your breath, you glance over at Tsukishima's smug grin. "I just wanted to have that feeling of being nervous the night before and getting super pretty just for you to not notice because you're a jerk like that."

A low chuckle rumbles from Tsukishima's throat when he hears Y/N's thought out imagination. "Why would you think I wouldn't notice?"

"Because you didn't realize I even liked you until I had to say it aloud." You scoff, reaching up to pinch his nose. Tsukishima reaches towards your face, pinching your cheek. "I would notice the effort you put in Y/N." The two of you halt to a stop, both still pinching each other. "You would?" You ask curiously, lowering your fingers from his nose. Tsukishima nods silently, letting go of your cheek and rubbing the pink spot gently. "I can't detect your inner emotions but if it's something visibly different, I'll notice right away."

You blush from Tsukishima's answer. "Why are you blushing for Y/N?" Tsukishima wears a half smile. Lacing your fingers with his, you feel him stiffen a bit. "I'm just happy to hear you say you'll notice me." Your tone is soft and delicate. "I'm still in disbelief that we're together...even though I can do something like this." You raise your intertwined hands up between you two.

Tsukishima quietly looks at Y/N, the corner of his lips twitching upward into a smile, quietly chuckling. He looks away, cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. Tsukishima takes a turn around a corner towards a large park.

In a matter of seconds you see several cats lounging around in the park.

"Isn't this the park that's famous for all the cats?" You gasp when you timidly walk up to one that's lounging in the sun, crouching down. The cat pays you no attention as it stretches out, turning around to turn it's back on you. Your jaw drops slightly, brows furrowed. "I believe that cat just ignored you." Tsukishima snickers, crouching down next to you. He slowly reaches out to stroke the cats back. Your eyes flick over to Tsukishima's face, noticing the tiny smile he wears.

The corner of your lips curl into a smile, your heart skipping at how cute Tsukishima looks right now. He tends to hide his smiles, so seeing him shyly smile like this is a treat.

Nibbling your bottom lip, you lean over to kiss Tsukishima on the cheek. His eyes widen and he stops stroking the cats back. Slowly, his eyes turn to look at you. "What was that for?"

"Do I need to have a reason for kissing you Kei?" You tease, standing up to find a cat that will give you attention. Tsukishima shyly lowers his eyes, pursing his lips. The cat stares at him blankly, meowing before scurrying away. Standing up, he tries to return to his smug expression. But the corner of his lips twitch into a smile. His heart pounding against his chest.

Tsukishima quietly follows Y/N, sliding his hands into his pockets. Every attempt Y/N makes towards a cat leads to them scurrying away. He notices the frown on her face, her brows knitting in frustration. "You're really not their favorite person Y/N." Tsukishima teases, stopping beside you. Crossing your arms, you huff under your breath. 

"It's fine. I still think they're cute even though they're all avoiding me." You walk over to a bench that sits under several trees, sitting down you stretch your arms up, a yawn escaping from you. Tsukishima sits beside you, leaning his back against the bench. 

"Tired?" Tsukishima looks at you from the corner of his eye. Nodding your head, you look over at Tsukishima. "We did wake up early to come back to Miyagi at a decent time." Staring at his shoulder, you make yourself comfortable and rest your head against his shoulder. Tsukishima tenses, his breathing sharp when he feels the weight of Y/N's head. 

Closing your eyes, you feel the gentle summer breeze flow through your hair and the sun kissing your skin. Tsukishima's familiar scent of linen and oak fills your nostrils and you're pulled further into bliss. You're completely relaxed and the temptation to fall asleep seems inviting. You faintly hear Tsukishima's breathing pattern and the sound of cats meowing to each other. This may not be the first date you envisioned but what matters most is that you're here with Tsukishima. 

Tsukishima notices the smile that grows on Y/N's face. He wonders what she's thinking right now. Her expression is angelic from the way the sunrays shine on her face through the tree branches. His heart beats against his chest when the scent of vanilla and roses wafts towards his nose.

_Y/N smells so sweet._

Tsukishima gazes at Y/N a bit longer. Noticing her long lashes and the few imperfections on her face from her pimples. She probably feels insecure about the acne on her face. But he could care less about things like that. Tsukishima feels strongly infatuated by her and nothing can change these emotions of his. Noticing how soft he's gotten again, he tears his eyes away from her. 

You startle from Tsukishima's shoulder when you feel something soft brush up against your leg. Fluttering your eyes open, you lift your head up and stare by your feet. Tsukishima looks just as startled when he looks at you. To your surprise a small white kitten rubs against your ankles, softly meowing out to you. 

"Oh my god..." You whisper yell, slapping Tsukishima's leg to get his attention. "Kei look!" You squeal as quietly as possible to not startle the kitten. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow, leaning over to look down by your feet. He chuckles, smirking when he sees the tiny kitten. "Looks like someone's finally giving you some love." 

You squeal from how adorable the kitten is, wanting to pick it up. But you feared it would run away once you extend your hand towards it. The kitten opens it's eyes, looking up at you as it stops nudging against you. The softest meow fills your ears. You feel yourself melt from how cute the kitten is and it meows towards you again. "I think it's talking to you Y/N." Tsukishima looks over at your fidgeting body. You slowly extend your hand towards the kitten, to which the kitten quickly walks over to and sniffs. You feel the prickliness of the kittens tongue when it licks your finger. 

"ACK. Why is it so cute!?" You whine out, careful to scoop the kitten up into your palms. Tsukishima chuckles, a wide smile grows on his face when he looks at Y/N fawning over the kitten. Taking his phone out, he snaps a photo of her while she's distracted. 

You carefully stroke the kittens head with your pointer finger. "Where's your mom at?" You ask the kitten who just quietly meows at you. "Make sure to find her when you're done exploring." You whisper to the kitten, giving the kitten one last stroke between it's ears. Gently lowering your hands, the kitten walks off of your palms and scurries away. 

"Well, I'm content now." You smile, looking over at Tsukishima who's watching you with a small smile. You're surprised to see him already staring at you, a heat rising in your cheeks. "Were you smiling at me the whole time?" Averting his eyes from you, he shrugs. "Maybe?" 

You giggle from how adorable Tsukishima is being. Reaching your hand towards his face, you turn his face to make him look at you. "I feel special whenever I see that smile of yours Kei." You speak softly towards Tsukishima, his eyes wavering when he listens to you. He scrunches his nose, staring at you with redden cheeks. "Why do you always say the things I least expect." Tsukishima mumbles, feeling embarrassed. His hands cover your small ones, pulling them away from his face. With a rough tug, you're pulled towards him. Tsukishima tilts his head slightly, enveloping your lips with his. 

Your squeal gets muffled by his soft lips. "I'm going to act up if you keep saying such cute things Y/N." Tsukishima huskily says when he pulls away from your lips. You giggle at his words, your face flushing over. 

"Kei, acting up? Never." You sarcastically say, feeling Tsukishima loosen his hold on your hands. "Don't press your luck Y/N." Tsukishima smirks at you. You hold back your tongue, not wanting to taunt him further. 

"Fine." You hold back your inner thoughts for next time. Tsukishima stares at the time on his phone and pulls the two of you up. He leads you out of the park and towards the street again. "Where to next?" You ask curiously. "I'm taking you back to work." Tsukishima answers curtly. He points over to the yakitori restaurant that you work for that's far off in the distance. 

"What!? It's not even open yet Kei." You laugh as the two of you walk next to each other. Tsukishima snickers, giving your hand a slight squeeze. "I'm joking. We're going to the restaurant further past it. I heard they're well known for their desserts." Tsukishima speaks lowly, a smile inching on his face. You raise an eyebrow when you notice the glimmer in his eyes. 

"Do they happen to have strawberry shortcake?" You curiously ask, noticing Tsukishima stiffen. A smile grows on your face and you giggle at his reaction. "That's your favorite, right Kei? Is that the real reason why we're going there?" 

"Yeah." Tsukishima bluntly says, adorably pouting for a second before returning back to his still face. You give his hand a squeeze, quickening your pace. "Well, let's hurry and get there so we can get you your cake." 

"Wait, there's no need to run Y/N!" Tsukishima yells out while he's being dragged by you. 


	19. Regional announcement

"Did you do anything fun after we split off during summer break, Y/L/N?" Hinata is quick to speak to you before you are can sit down in your seat. Yawning, you wipe the tears in the corner of your eyes. 

"Hmm, Kei and I went to this cat park." You brighten up at the memory. Hinata gasps, eyes twinkling. "That must've been so fun! I wish I could've been there...I was drowning in homework once we got back from the beach house vacation." Hinata grabs the packet of homework out, a loud thud hitting against the wooden surface of the table. 

"I'm surprised you even did it." You smirk, giggling at Hinata. He puffs out his cheeks and furrows his brows at you. The two of you glance over to Kageyama who's been awfully quiet. Dark circles loom around his eyes and he looks like death itself. "Kageyama." You call out to him. He slowly turns his eyes over to you, his words stuck in his throat. "I'm guessing you stayed up late to do your homework?" 

Kageyama replies with a nod, his head slowly hits against his backpack that rests on the table. "You look horrible." Hinata bluntly says aloud. The two of you expect a retort back from Kageyama, but silence is the only response. 

The class simmers down when your teacher steps inside. He eyes the back row where the three of you sit. "I hope you all have finished your work over summer break?" 

Not wanting to look irritated, you relax your twitching brow, wearing a small smile on your face when you echo a 'yes' with the other students in your classroom.

_Today is going to be a long day, you just had a feeling._

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Finally." You grumble out, stretching your arms up towards the sky. 

"Did you have a long day Y/N?" Yamaguchi appears next to you, a smile on his face. You jolt from his sudden presence, only to bump into someone on your other side. Nervously, you apologize and look over. "Clumsy like usual Y/N?" Tsukishima smirks when he sees you. You purse your lips, staring at the two. 

"Are you guys heading off to the gym?" You change the topic. Yamaguchi nods his head, looking more excited than usual to go there. "Coach Ukai has an announcement to make and asked us to come by the gym before heading home."

"No practice? That's a surprise." You walk the two over to the gym. Tsukishima's hand gently brushes against yours. Feeling your heart skip, you hold back the urge to hold onto his hand. No one really knows that you two are dating besides Yamaguchi and Suga.

_But his hand is right there._

You mentally grumble to yourself for not being able to do the smallest thing.

_Would Tsukishima be upset if you held hands in school? Why were you two hiding the fact you're dating anyway?_

"You could wait right here for us if you want Y/N. We'll walk you home after the meeting. It shouldn't take too long." Yamaguchi points over to the courtyard and you nod your head. He waves at you and enters the gym first. You expect Tsukishima to follow right after Yamaguchi but he idles next to you. You turn to look up at Tsukishima, he's scrunching his nose and looking to the side. "Are you going in Kei?" You call out to him. 

"Yeah." He answers curtly. Slowly, he looks over to you and plants a quick kiss on your forehead. "Don't stray too far away from the courtyard. We'll be right out." Tsukishima slurs his words in a hurry and runs inside the gym. He hides his flushing face from Y/N. You're still trying to process what happened. Extending your hand to your forehead, you blush furiously. 

_How can Tsukishima be so cute?!_

Slapping your heated cheeks, you walk over to the courtyard and pull out your phone to kill time.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Coach Ukai counts the students in the gym before he claps his hands together to get their attention, pulling them away from their conversations. 

"As you guys know, we're one of the teams that will be qualifying for the regional games. Being one of the 16 teams to reach this far is an honor. But we can't rest just yet. These games will happen in a course of two days." Coach Ukai pauses, taking a look at the mixed expressions in front of him. 

Hinata clenches his hands into fists, eyes firing up. 

"Day one will be the first round and quarterfinals. Day two will be the semifinals and finals." Takeda continues the conversation. "So I know we're going to be asking a lot from you during those two days. There's no doubt in our minds that Karasuno High will make it to the finals."

"The regional games will be in Tokyo this year. Expect to run into familiar faces." Coach Ukai grins when he looks over at the third years. Kageyama grimaces when he thinks about Aobajohsai. Hinata on the other hand looks excited when he thinks about going up against Kozume Kenma, completely forgetting that Kozume had already graduated. 

"Do we know who we're going up against?" Tsukishima calls out from the back of the group. As if he was waiting, Coach Ukai grins. "Aobajohsai will be one of our competitors if they win the first round."

"WHAT ABOUT NEKOMA!?" Hinata yells out. "If they successfully win in their brackets, we'll see them during the interhigh. They're taking their regional games elsewhere." Takeda answers Hinata with a smile. Hinata slumps his shoulders, upset that he won't be up against Kozume anytime soon. "The regional games are next week, so take today as a day off. Tomorrow the intense training will start." Coach Ukai wraps up the meeting and an erupt of 'yes sir' echoes the large gym. 

"Oh god...I don't feel so good." One of the first years holds his stomach, looking queasy. Kageyama chuckles when he looks at them, eyeing Hinata. "That reminds me of you Hinata." Hinata holds his stomach, also wanting to throw up now. "Weren't you just fired up?!" Kageyama yells at him, slapping him on the back of the head. "Don't slack off tomorrow. I'm not going easy." Kageyama retorts out before leaving the gym first. Everyone slowly files out of the gym, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi being the last ones. 

"Are you nervous Tsukki?" Yamaguchi nervously asks, his hands clenching onto the straps of his backpack. Tsukishima glances over at Yamaguchi, noticing how uneasy Yamaguchi looks. "Not at all. It'll be an easy win." 

"I wish I was as confident as you Tsukki." Yamaguchi sighs. Tsukishima gives Yamaguchi's shoulder a firm squeeze. Alarmed, Yamaguchi looks over to Tsukishima. 

"Even if we don't win, it'll be a moment to remember during our last year as high schoolers Tadashi." Tsukishima speaks honestly, his eyes stare at Yamaguchi seriously. "Besides, we're winning either way. Kageyama and Hinata are not going to back down. Let's just be sure to keep up with them." Tsukishima releases his grip on Yamaguchi's shoulder, sliding them into his pocket. 

"Y/N." Tsukishima calls out to Y/N who's scrolling through her social media. 

Lowering your phone into your skirt pocket, you stand up and walk over to Tsukishima. "How'd the meeting go?" You ask with a smile. Tsukishima places his hand on the top of your head, smiling down at you. "Are you free next weekend? Tadashi and I have regionals in Tokyo. We can hang out after the games and explore Tokyo together."

You beam at the thought of being in Tokyo. Nodding your head eagerly, you answer Tsukishima. "I want to go!" Tsukishima dryly chuckles from Y/N's energetic response. Looking behind Tsukishima, you call out to Yamaguchi. "Should we go to a maid café Tadashi?" Yamaguchi's face flushes from your question. "W-Why?! I don't want to third wheel you two. I'll hang out with Kageyama and Hinata." 

Frowning, you furrow your brows. "Well...if that's what you want."

Yamaguchi nods, reassuring you that he'll be fine. You turn your attention back to Tsukishima, smiling widely. "I'll be sure to cheer you on during your games. I'm guessing I won't see much of you this week?" Tsukishima nods, his smile turning into a frown. But he's quick to erase the sadness that looms over him, not wanting Y/N to see his emotions. 

"You'll miss me, won't you?" You tease him, noticing the frown earlier. "Don't lie to her Tsukki~" Yamaguchi joins in with the teasing. Tsukishima furrows his brows and walks away from the both of you. 

"Shut up you two." He grumbles, making his way towards the school entrance. You and Yamaguchi glance at one another, quietly giggling and hurrying to follow him. 

"Of course I'll miss you, idiot." Tsukishima mumbles under his breath, his words not reaching Y/N's ears. 


	20. His unsettling emotions

Tomorrow marks one of the most important days for Karasuno High. The regional games.

Tsukishima carefully watches the volleyball fly towards him, he calculates the time for him to jump and block Hinata's and Kageyama's combo move. Their combo is more precise over the years, but so is his blocking. Everything happens in a matter of seconds when Tsukishima jumps up, his arms are straight at first before he moves them to the right, feeling the surface of the volleyball slap him in the palms.

"DAMN IT." Hinata grumbles out when the ball slams right next to him. A smug grin graces Tsukishima's face.

"I'm not going to let you two idiots pass my blocks." Tsukishima snickers when he sees the dark looming shadow hover around Kageyama. A loud clap of hands pulls everyone away from their practice. Coach Ukai places his hands by his sides with a grin. "Alright team, let's wrap it up for today. Save your energy up for tomorrow." Takeda stands up from the bench and calls out to everyone. "We're treating you all to dinner so let's get everything cleaned up."

The gym is full of excitement when they hear the news about free dinner. Yamaguchi runs up to Tsukishima's side, sweating and redden in the face.

"Do you think we're going to see Takinoue and Y/N?" Yamaguchi wipes the sweat from his face with a towel that's wrapped around his neck. Tsukishima shrugs, walking over to the net and untying it. Yamaguchi unties the other side and the two meet in the middle, Yamaguchi handing the net over to Tsukishima. "It's been weird not seeing Y/N every day."

"Yeah." Tsukishima answers curtly. Yamaguchi eyes Tsukishima, trying to see any trace of sadness when they talk about Y/N. But Tsukishima either wears a smug look or a frown on a normal basis, making it difficult to read his expressions.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Y/N are you almost done?" Takinoue is in the back of the restaurant, pulling out the marinated yakitori from last night. You're decorating the restaurant with streamers and balloons. Standing on one of the chairs, you extend your hand up to straighten up one of the banners that is lower than the other end. Even with the chair, you're just a tiny bit off of readjusting the banner with the thumbtack.

Takinoue eyes Y/N from the back, noticing how unbalanced she is on the chair. He starts to make his way to the front of the restaurant. The sound of chimes startles you, making you falter from the chair. Letting out a yelp, you force your eyes shut and extend your hand out to brace yourself for contact. But there's no sudden pain.

"Surprise!" Takinoue shouts to the ones who've entered the restaurant, his hand rests against your abdomen. Takinoue somehow rushed over to catch you before you clattered onto the ground. Your eyes narrow down to Takinoue's hand, a blush streaking across your face. Tsukishima eyes the two, his brows scrunching together.

"Thank you for saving me Yūsuke." You mumble out, readjusting yourself on the chair. Takinoue nods his head, pulling his hand away from your abs. He extends his hand out to help you off the chair which you take.

"Did you two decorate this all for us?" Ukai looks around with a wide grin. Takinoue shakes his head, pointing over to you after he pulls his hand away. "Y/N did. There's no way I have the talent to decorate like this." Takinoue chuckles and walks to the entrance, ushering everyone to sit wherever they'd like. The restaurant is reserved for them tonight.

You nervously place a hand against your abdomen, before looking up to greet the others.

"Kei!" You perk up when you see him standing to the side with Yamaguchi. His expression seems irritated when you walk up to him. Raising an eyebrow, you speak up. "Are you okay Kei?" He answers you bluntly with a 'yeah' before walking past you. His arm brushes up against yours and you slowly follow your gaze on him. "Did something happen Tadashi?" You whisper to Yamaguchi who stands next to you. Yamaguchi scratches the side of his face, awkwardly smiling. "I think Tsukki is upset at you."

Pursing your lips, you knit your brows together. "For what?" You've given him space the last few days to focus on practice.

_Did he not want that?_

"Maybe I'm wrong but, I think he was jealous of Takinoue just now." Yamaguchi whispers. "He's seen you more times than Tsukki this week. It probably didn't help that we walked in on him holding you."

Your eyes widen, face flushing a deep red. "Yūsuke just caught me from slipping. Does Kei think something is going on between us? I can't let him think like that before the game tomorrow." Worry clouds your mind and you try to think on how to handle this situation.

"Y/N! Are you not going to get drinks for everyone?" Takinoue cheerfully calls out to you and you're pulled away from your thoughts. Yamaguchi gives you a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'll try to calm him down, Y/N." You look over to see a gentle smile on Yamaguchi's face. Nodding your head, you hurry over to the others to take their order.

Yamaguchi takes a seat across Tsukishima by a corner table. "Everything okay Tsukki?" Tsukishima doesn't answer, his eyes scrolling through his phone. Pursing his lips, Yamaguchi awkwardly looks at the table.

"Do you think Takinoue likes Y/N?" Tsukishima mumbles under his breath, his thumb stops scrolling against his phone screen. Yamaguchi raises his eyebrows, staring across from him to see the knit brows on Tsukishima's face. The two turn their attention over to Takinoue who's grilling the yakitori while chatting with Ukai and Takeda.

"Y/N, you're slacking!" Takinoue teases Y/N who's busy handing out drinks. He steps away from the grill, stacking more drinks on a serving tray to help Y/N.

"I think he's more of a big brother to her." Yamaguchi answers, watching Takinoue hand out the drinks, ruffling Y/N's hair when the two join back up near the grill. Tsukishima stares at Takinoue, narrowing his eyes.

"Sorry for the wait." You place two sodas in front of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. "I'll bring the yakitori over once Takinoue finishes grilling a batch." Smiling at the two, you lower your eyes over to Tsukishima who quickly avoids your look. Biting your bottom lip, you grip onto your server tray. "Kei." You sternly say his name which causes a stiffening reaction from him.

"Y/N, the yakitori is ready!" Takinoue calls out to you. Squeezing your eyes shut, you lower your head before turning around with a smile. "Heard!" You excuse yourself from the two.

"Tsukki, are you going to ignore Y/N the whole night? She'll take it the wrong way..." Yamaguchi cracks open his soda, taking a gulp. Tsukishima looks indifferent. "I don't know what to do Tadashi. But seeing her right now isn't helping me." Tsukishima murmurs, staring at his soda.


	21. Jealous for no reason

You couldn't find time to talk to Tsukishima for more than two minutes during dinner service. You were running from the grill to the fridge to the tables. Before you know it, you're washing dishes during closing time.

Takinoue walks over to your side, picking up the wet dishes to dry them off. "Tonight's been busy even though it was just the students from Karasuno. Those guys can eat a lot." Takinoue chuckles, piling the dry plates together and placing it away. He notices Y/N's quiet behavior, cocking an eyebrow up. "Everything okay Y/N?"

You turn off the water, wiping your hands against your apron around your waist. The corner of your lips turn into a frown. Your eyes are clouded over and you wear a troubled expression. "Kei, he ignored me the entire night." You mumble under your breath. Takinoue listens to you, watching you walk towards the back door. He follows after you, turning off the lights and taking his keys out to lock the restaurant back door. 

"Is there a reason why he did? Maybe he's just nervous about tomorrow and didn't want you to worry over him." Takinoue tries to think of a possible reasoning to Tsukishima's behavior. You exhale, grabbing your bike from leaning against the wall. "I don't think so. Tadashi told me..." Your words trail off when you glance over at Takinoue. He hops onto his bicycle, standing next to you. 

"Told you what?" Takinoue grins at you, aloof as usual. You purse your lips, sitting on your bicycle seat. "Kei might be jealous of you Yūsuke." You murmur your response, placing your feet on your pedals to make a jump start home. Takinoue looks bewildered from your statement, his brows raising up. "Jealous? What for? I'm your boss." 

You stop short from replying when you realize you've never told Takinoue about your relationship with Tsukishima. Feeling your face redden, you clear your throat. "It's probably nothing important." You slur out a response, quickening your pace. 

"Wait! Y/N!" Takinoue speeds up his pedaling. "Does Tsukishima have feelings for you? That's the only reason a guy would get jealous." He notices how red Y/N's face is, smirking when he's hit the nail on the head. "Should I clear up the air with him tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" You look over to Takinoue for a split second before paying attention to what's in front of you. 

"Yeah. Akiteru, Makoto, and I will be attending the regional games tomorrow. We have to support our school team." Takinoue grins from ear to ear, his voice warm when he speaks about the Karasuno team. "Akiteru...I haven't seen him in awhile." You mumble to yourself. Takinoue extends his hand to flick the side of your head, the two of you clumsily controlling your bikes. "Jeez! Be careful Yūsuke!"

Takinoue grumbles when he looks at you. "I can't have you talking about Akiteru when his younger brother has feelings for you!" Feeling your words get stuck in your throat, you look away with your face flushing again. 

"All I said is that I haven't seen Akiteru in awhile!" You shout out, slowing down your pedaling when you reach your house. Takinoue slows down to a stop when you hop off your bike, rolling it towards the front of the house. "I'll see you tomorrow Y/N. I'm going to clear the air up to Tsukishima so you'll have a chance at a boyfriend." Takinoue flashes you a thumbs up. You smile, giggling at him. "How did the girlfriend hunt go? I never got to ask." 

Takinoue lowers his hand, grumbling. "Horrible. There's no one out there for me." 

"Don't give up Yūsuke. I'll see you tomorrow." You call out to him, waving before you enter the house. With the click of the door behind you, you pull out your phone from your apron. Pulling up Tsukishima's contact, you stare at the messages. He's read your goodnight text thirty minutes ago. Exhaling, you drag your feet to the bathroom to shower before heading to bed.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"I think that's everyone Ukai." Takeda counts the number of students that stand outside of the bus. The team woke up early in the morning to meet up at the school to take a bus to Tokyo. Everyone seems to be going through different kinds of emotions when they stare at the building ahead of them. The very building that will hold the regional games for the next two days. 

Hinata looks a bit queasy, holding his stomach. "Can I head to the bathroom?" He weakly calls out to Coach Ukai and Takeda. "Yeah, let's go to the bathroom before we explore the location. We're the third game of the day so we can't explore for long." Coach Ukai instructs, taking the lead.

Everyone shouts an okay and file into the building behind Coach Ukai. Yamaguchi stares at the different school teams, feeling intimidated. "These guys look like powerhouses." He trembles, staring at the tall players that crowd the hallway. Tsukishima looks indifferent, a deadpan expression on his face. "Don't forget we're also a threat Tadashi. We're also third years with more experience." Yamaguchi slowly nods his head, gulping and straightening up his back. 

"Ah, did you hear anything from Y/N? Would she be able to find this place?" Yamaguchi questions Tsukishima, moving his worries away from the game to Y/N. Tsukishima presses his lips together, staring ahead of him. "She should be fine. Akiteru went over to her place to get her." 

"Akiteru? It's been awhile since Y/N and I saw him." Yamaguchi smiles when he remembers Akiteru. Akiteru would spoil the three when they were younger. He's sure Akiteru would be no different than before, spoiling and teasing Y/N. He's always treated Yamaguchi and Y/N as his own siblings. "Does Akiteru know about you two dating?"

Tsukishima shakes his head, feeling his cheeks heat up. "I can't bear his teasing if he finds out." Tsukishima mumbles, slowing his steps when the others break off to use the bathroom. "Is there a reason you two are hiding your relationship?" Yamaguchi raises an eyebrow, resting his back against the wall. Tsukishima walks over to him, feeling the coldness of the wall against his tall frame. 

"Not really. We just wanted to keep it hidden during the beach vacation but we continued to hide it after that." Tsukishima speaks softly, his eyes staring down at his shoes. "But it's probably best if others know. That way..." Tsukishima scrunches his face, recalling yesterdays event where Takinoue had his hand against Y/N's abs. A flicker of anger forms in his chest. "Did you ever get the chance to text Y/N last night?" Yamaguchi carefully asks, noticing the anger that's now apparent on Tsukishima's face. Tsukishima shakes his head, pressing his lips together. A frown etches onto Yamaguchi's face. "Are you sure you should've done that? Y/N is definitely going to take it the wrong way." 

"KEI!" A voice cuts through the conversation and the two look up to find the owner of the voice. A similar looking guy to Tsukishima walks up to the two. "Tadashi! It's been awhile since I've seen you." Akiteru places a hand on Yamaguchi's head and ruffles his grayish-green hair. Yamaguchi flushes from the gesture, nodding his head and combing his fingers through his hair after Akiteru's ruffling. 

"It has." Yamaguchi softly speaks up. Two other faces pop up behind Akiteru. Shimada and Takinoue wave a hello to the two. Yamaguchi raises a brow when he doesn't see Y/N. Tsukishima seems to notice too when he gazes at the three. "Where's Y/N?" Tsukishima asks his brother who awkwardly scratches the back of his neck. 

"She wasn't home when I went to her place." Akiteru answers. "I also tried calling her but there was no answer." Takinoue speaks up, joining in the conversation. Tsukishima stiffens when he hears Takinoue speak, his golden brown eyes narrowing towards him. "She wasn't home?" Yamaguchi furrows his brows up, looking over at Tsukishima. Tsukishima holds a still expression, not wanting to look stressed out. Mentally his thoughts are a mess and he starts to feel guilty for ignoring Y/N.

_Did she decide to not show up because of him?_

It would make sense since he ignored her last night. In her perspective she's being ignored for no reason. 

"I'm sure she'll show up sooner or later." Akiteru notices the slight furrow in Tsukishima's brows. "You guys have to get warmed up for the game, right? We'll be sure to cheer you guys on." With a grin Akiteru raises both hands up in a fist. "We're going to leave to find a seat. Good luck guys!" Akiteru walks off with Shimada and Takinoue behind him. 

Takinoue eyes Tsukishima in the corner of his eye, stopping himself to walk back to Tsukishima.

"Tsukishima." Takinoue sternly calls out to Tsukishima. 

Yamaguchi looks startled from Takinoue's tone, stepping away to give the two space. Tsukishima raises his eyes up and stares at Takinoue with a glare. The piercing stare sends a chill down Takinoue's spine. He holds back the shiver his body is aching to do. "About Y/N..." Takinoue clears his throat to speak up. "She's an employee of mine and I treat her like she's a younger sibling. There's nothing more to it than that." 

Tsukishima is thrown off, faltering a bit from Takinoue's statement. "Why would you-" Tsukishima gets cut off by Takinoue who awkwardly smiles at him. "Y/N told me last night that you were ignoring her. She said something along the lines of you being jealous of me so I just wanted to clear the air up. I hope you won't be upset at her because of me. Anyway, good luck in todays game. We'll be sure to scream our hearts out for you guys." Takinoue flashes a smirk and hurries off. 

Tsukishima is left speechless, his eyes following Takinoue's back that disappears into the crowd. Yamaguchi quietly walks back next to Tsukishima, a small smile on his face. "Takinoue acts surprisingly shy for a man his age." Yamaguchi chuckles. "But, what he said should ease your worries now, right?" He looks alarmed when he notices the deep frown on Tsukishima's face. 

"I got jealous of Takinoue and ignored Y/N because of it. Now she's not here and she was looking forward to spending the weekend here in Tokyo." Frustrated and sad, Tsukishima grumbles and runs his fingers through his hair. "I'm sure she'll be here. Something probably came up." Yamaguchi tries to ease Tsukishima's nerves but he knows his words bare no comfort. The two's attention are pulled towards Takeda when he calls out for the team to follow him and Coach Ukai. Tsukishima tries to busy his mind with focusing on the game. 


	22. Keep your eyes on me

After an hour and a half of warm up practice and defeating the first round an hour after, the team is preparing for the quarterfinals. Tsukishima struggles to maintain his focus and he's not the only one that's noticed. 

"Hey, what's wrong with you? You've let some of those blocks slip past you last game." Kageyama bickers at him, dark blue eyes piercing at Tsukishima. 

"Shut up." Tsukishima lowly retorts, stretching his legs and arms. Kageyama furrows his brows together, hands turning into fists. Yamaguchi quickly steps in between the two, calming Kageyama down. "Tsukki just has a lot on his mind right now, Kageyama. Let's not get too heated up right before our last match of the day." Yamaguchi tries to force on a smile despite feeling nervous standing up against Kageyama. Kageyama clicks his tongue, walking away. 

"All I was trying to say is for him to focus." Kageyama grumbles, heading towards the bench to rest. Tsukishima overhears Kageyama, exhaling. He stops stretching to glance up towards the crowd, a seat still empty by Akiteru and the others. Yamaguchi follows Tsukishima's line of sight, drooping his shoulders. Y/N still is nowhere to be found and Yamaguchi worries that this will further distract Tsukishima. 

"Hey, Tsukki." Yamaguchi calls out to him, standing in front of him. "Let's just enjoy this last game of the day. Even if we lose or win, it's fun to play volleyball with you like this. We won't get a moment like this after graduation." Tsukishima seems taken aback from Yamaguchi's words, his stress subsiding for now. Nodding his head, Tsukishima forms a small smile towards Yamaguchi. "Yeah." Yamaguchi's smile brightens when he sees the smile on Tsukishima's face. 

Coach Ukai then calls for a quick huddle before the game starts. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Is it just me or does the atmosphere here seem a bit tense?" Oikawa whispers to Iwaizumi. The two sitting on the opposite side of the gym to root for their perspective school team. Iwaizumi lowers his eyes to the court, staring at the score. Aobajohsai is in the lead with one winning match. They're not far off from taking the win in the second match, a one point lead. 

"Karasuno seems to struggle staying focused." Iwaizumi murmurs. Oikawa leans forward to stare at the players. He smirks when he sees the glare in Kageyama's eyes towards Tsukishima. "Good to know those two still can't play together." Oikawa chuckles. "The King himself seems like he's about to yell Tsukishima's ear off if he misses another block." 

"What's going on with Kei?" Akiteru raises an eyebrow when he watches Tsukishima barely block the oncoming volleyball. "If they keep things going at this rate, Karasuno is looking at a loss." Shimada clasps his hands together, sweating more than the players on the court. Takinoue watches in silence, feeling like he's at fault for Tsukishima's bad gameplay. "Are they losing?!" A ragged voice speaks towards the three along with a hoard of footsteps. Akiteru looks to the side and sees Daichi, Sugawara, and Asahi. Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Kiyoko appear from behind them. 

The three alumni's widen their eyes when they see the others. 

"Daichi!" Akiteru calls out his name in shock. He then looks at the others and raises a hand up to greet them. "What brings you all here?" 

"To support our underclassman's of course." Suga grins from ear to ear. "It seems like they're in need of it too." Asahi notices the score and knits his brows together. Tanaka and Nishinoya both cup their hands and begin to cheer them on. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!" Tanaka shouts out. "DON'T LOSE AGAINST THOSE LOSERS." Nishinoya's piercing shout catches the attention of Oikawa and Iwaizumi. A grin forms on their faces when they hear both Tanaka and Nishinoya's energetic shouting. 

"Doesn't look like anyone from Karasuno has changed over the past few years." Oikawa chuckles and Iwaizumi nods his head. "They're energetic as usual." Iwaizumi comments.

Hinata notices the others from the sidelines, waving his hand hysterically. The group waves at him, filing into the seats behind Akiteru and the others. "Why is Hinata on the sidelines?" Asahi asks Akiteru, taking a seat behind him. "Coach Ukai subbed in a first year to give him some court time. But Hinata is about to rejoin them." Akiteru explains, his eyes nervously resting on Tsukishima's back. It doesn't take long for the others to notice Tsukishima's off his game when the ball hits their side of the court. 

"Is Tsukishima alright?" Suga questions, noticing the distant eyes on Tsukishima. 

Tsukishima clenches his teeth, glaring at the first year who wears a smug smirk towards him. "I was worried when I heard about the great middle blocker Tsukishima. But you're no threat." His words rile up Tsukishima incredibly. "Three more points and this will be a win for us." The Aobajohsai first year calls out to his teammates. 

"Not on my watch." Kageyama yells out. Hinata rejoins the others on the court. "Tsukishima, if you can't block, just stay away from the net." 

Hearing Kageyama spit out orders again, Tsukishima clicks his tongue and walks towards the back. Clenching his hands into fists, he tries to ease his anxiety. If he doesn't get his shit together right now, they're definitely going to lose and the weight of that will crush him. Tsukishima shakes his nerves out, inhaling and exhaling deeply. 

Yamaguchi runs up, tossing the volleyball up to do a float jump. He's perfected his serves over the years, the confidence apparent when his shot trips up the opposite team. Karasuno wins a point with only a two point gap now.

"YEAH! DO ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FLOAT JUMPS YAMAGUCHI!" Nishinoya shouts again, catching Yamaguchi's eyes. His eyes widen when he sees the others in the crowd. The ref blows on the whistle and he turns his attention back forward, serving another float jump. Aobajohsai expected his attack, blocking the ball from landing. 

"Chance ball!" Kunimi calls out to Kindaichi. "GOT IT!" Kindaichi yells out, being the last one to touch the ball. He aims the ball towards the opening middle. A second year hurries to counter the ball, Tsukishima hesitates to assist him. But luckily the ball flies upward towards Kageyama. 

"THEY'RE DOING THE COMBO." Kunimi shouts out to his teammates. They ready for Hinata and Kageyama's combo shot. Kageyama shoots a quick glance to Tsukishima.

_Is he telling him to score the point?_

The team breaks out into a team attack. Tsukishima hurries to reach the net, the others faking out a jump. 

Inhaling deeply, Tsukishima slowly follows the ball with his eyes, jumping up a second later to hit the ball. Kindaichi notices that Hinata isn't the one to receive the ball and hurries his step over to Tsukishima.

"Shit." Tsukishima says between clench teeth, noticing a second later that Kindaichi is in front of him. The ball gets countered and the score is back to a three point gap. Karasuno needs to score the next four points or they're definitely going to lose. 

Tsukishima's mood only gets worse when he feels the looming glare from Kageyama. Kageyama gave him a shot to redeem himself and he's only doing the opposite. 

"KEI. WHAT WAS THAT?!" A voice cuts through the others, meeting his ears. Tsukishima turns around to look up, his breath taken away when he sees Y/N. Her brows furrow together and her cheeks redden, a frown on her face. Out of breath, Y/N shouts again. "GET IT TOGETHER, IDIOT."

"Pfft, did she just call him an idiot?" Oikawa is amused at the interaction between Y/N and Tsukishima. "What was her name again?" 

"Y/N. Tsukishima's childhood friend." Iwaizumi answers. 

Tsukishima's anxiety dissipates when he sees Y/N. Her presence relaxes him. The corner of his lips turn into a smile which takes Y/N back. 

"Why is that idiot smiling at me?" You grumble. Nishinoya stands next to you, helping you shout at Tsukishima. "YOU GOT THIS. DON'T GIVE UP FOUR EYES!"

"Four eyes?!" You glare at Nishinoya. "How is that going to help him if you're making fun of him?" Nishinoya waves his hands in front of you. "Tsukishima is fueled by insults. Trust me." Nishinoya smirks, crossing his arms together. The two quietly watch the game continue. Like a switch, Tsukishima's blocking and focus is more precise than earlier. 

The players from Aobajohsai grow nervous when they see the gleaming stare from Tsukishima. A dark smirk forms on his face when he blocks every shot. "I'm no threat?" Tsukishima lowly speaks to the first year that trashed talked him earlier.

The game speeds up with three points going to Karasuno.

**One more point and this match is their win.**

"What the fuck happened to him?!" The first year stammers, stepping away from the net. "Ignore him! He's just taunting you guys!" Kindaichi yells out to his underclassman's. "There's no way we're letting them take this match from us!" 

Hinata eagerly looks at Kageyama, wanting to win this match with their combo move. Tsukishima glances over at Kageyama, subtly nodding his head to tell him he'll be sure to block any points. 

You clinch onto the railing, watching the game unfold before you. "This is too scary to watch." Squeezing your eyes shut you hear the whistle blow, following by the sound of the volleyball being served on Aobajosai's side. 

"Kageyama!" Tsukishima's voice shouts out, the ball flying towards the dark blue eyed player. Hinata smiles widely when he sees the ball is set for him. With Aobajosai distracted by Tsukishima's sudden change in gameplay, Hinata scores against them winning the match for Karasuno.

"HELL YEAH!" Tanaka shouts loudly. The others scream into cheers as you slowly open your eyes, feeling your soul leave you. "I didn't think watching volleyball would be so exhausting." You mutter under your breath.

"Y/N!" Tsukishima's voice calls out to you from the court. You're alarmed when you hear him shout for you. Raising an eyebrow, you stare at him. He bites his bottom lip, looking shy for the first time in awhile. "KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME." Tsukishima yells out, his hands clenching into fists. Your eyes widen and your face quickly flushes red. 

"What was that? Is that his weird way of confessing his feelings?" Nishinoya bursts out into laughter beside you. You cover your mouth with your hand, hiding the smile that grows on your face. 

Tsukishima turns around, feeling his own face redden. 


	23. We're dating

"Where were you this morning Y/N?" Akiteru walks over to stand next to you, resting his arms against the rail. "I went by your place to pick you up and your dad said you left early in the morning."

You glance over at Akiteru, feeling self conscious after not seeing him since middle school. "Daichi picked me up earlier in the morning and we drove around to pick everyone else up." Pursing your lips, you apologize to Akiteru. "If I knew you were going to pick me up, I would've declined Daichi's offer last night."

Akiteru shakes his head, a gentle smile towards you. "That's alright. I figured Kei would text you but I'm guessing he didn't." A sigh escapes from Akiteru, his eyes focusing on his younger brother. "He came home last night looking troubled but he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. The only thing he said was for me to pick you up in the morning."

_He did?_

You lower your eyes over to Tsukishima.

"Did you two argue last night?" Akiteru carefully asks you the question that's been eating at him. "Kei was playing horribly until you showed up. I can only assume he was distracted by your lack of attendance."

_He was?_

You mentally ask yourself these questions, watching Tsukishima ready himself to serve the ball. He remains calm and collected, jumping up slightly to slam the ball on the other side which wins them a point. You can see the corner of his lips wanting to twitch into an innocent smile but his arrogant smirk graces his face. His piercing stare is aimed towards the first year that taunted him.

"We didn't get into an argument but Kei did ignore me last night. I'm not sure of the reasoning. Tadashi told me it might have something to do with Yūsuke." You answer Akiteru honestly, turning your attention over to him. "Yūsuke?" Akiteru repeats Takinoue's name. Nodding your head, you press your lips together, feeling the heat in your cheeks return. Akiteru takes a moment to think, his own face starts to flush.

"Kei, he must like you then!" Akiteru covers his mouth in shock. You're tempted to tell him that you two are dating but it would be better for him to hear it directly from Tsukishima.

A few minutes go by with Karasuno leading by two points. Aobajohsai start to get into a routine of Tsukishima's blocking skills and the combos between Hinata and Kageyama. They close the gap by a single point. At that moment Ukai subs in Yamaguchi to pinch serve.

You clasp your hands together, closing your eyes and mentally whispering that Yamaguchi will successfully score a point. This final match will be the deciding factor on who moves onto the semifinals tomorrow.

Daichi explained to you during the car ride that tomorrows games will be more stamina inducing with 5 matches each game. Luckily today there's only 3 matches.

Yamaguchi inhales sharply, his hands slightly trembling when he looks at the score. Closing his eyes, he focuses on the sound of his breathing, ignoring the loud cheers and roars of the audience. The sound of the whistle blow loudly rings in his ears and his body moves on its own. Yamaguchi is just there for the ride while his body takes over, with everything he has, he makes the most perfect serve he can muster.

Sadly, it doesn't land and the ball is received. In a flash, everyone's fighting to keep the ball in the air. The opposite team begin to fluster as they watch the ball on Karasuno's side.

"Is it going to be the combo?!" A second year frantically shouts. "It can't be, Hinata was the one to receive the ball!" A first year calls out, bracing themselves in the middle of the court. "Then what is it?!"

"A dunk!"

Kageyama sets the ball up for Tsukishima while the first and second years frantic over the anticipating combo attack. They hurry over to the net only to have Tsukishima dunk it in front of them. A glimmer sparkles in his golden brown eyes paired with his smug smirk. Tsukishima lands gracefully on his feet, piercing his eyes at the underclassman's. "Good luck in next years game." Tsukishima slyly says before an eruption of cheers come from the Karasuno audience.

Oikawa shivers in his seat. "Tsukishima is one scary guy when he's riled up. Just look at that smirk." Iwaizumi nods his head, sighing. "Guess the saying, love conquers all, is true." Iwaizumi stands up to leave, Oikawa following after him.

"Love? You think that's the reason Tsukishima became a crazy block demon?" Oikawa chuckles, sliding his hands into his pockets. "It's possible. He changed when Y/N appeared." Iwaizumi shrugs, the two quietly make their way out of the building.

An announcement is made that Karasuno will continue in tomorrows regional game and a warm thank you for Aobajohsai for attending todays game. Each team walk over to their perspective stage, standing in front of the audience to thank them for coming today.

Your eyes waver when you stare at Tsukishima, from all the tension while you watched the games, your emotions seem to be frayed. The corner of your eyes tear up.

"YOU GUYS DID IT!!" Tanaka shouts with Nishinoya joining in. The two loudly congratulating the others. Hinata blushes from their support, grinning from ear to ear. Kageyama wears a shy smile with furrowed brows. Yamaguchi also seems shy, he bows again with a smile. The first and second years are overwhelmed by the support, a few of them in tears. Tsukishima turns his eyes on Y/N, his eyes widen when he notices her crying. His lips part slightly and his chest tightens. Akiteru follows Tsukishima's gaze and tenses when he notices Y/N wiping away her tears that don't seem to stop.

"Y/N are you alright? Why are you crying? They won." Akiteru worriedly asks you, feeling awkward to see you helplessly cry beside him. "I...I want to be with Kei right now." You mumble out through sniffles and whimpers. Akiteru rests a hand on your shoulder, he looks down to Tsukishima and points at the door. Tsukishima nods his head and excuses himself from the team, hurrying out of the gym.

"Let's go see him then." Akiteru's warm voice fills your ears and he leads you by the wrist. The two of you weave through other attendees before you reach Tsukishima.

"Y/N!" Tsukishima's voice calls out to you and you hurry over to him, extending your arms out you envelope Tsukishima in a tight embrace. He widens his eyes for a second before wrapping his arms around your small frame. "Kei." Your voice is muffled in his chest. Tsukishima tightens his hold when he hears Y/N's soft voice say his name, his heart skipping.

"Why are you crying Y/N?" Tsukishima whispers beside you, stroking your back. Akiteru gives the two some distance, turning around to notice the others are filing out of the gym.

"I was so scared the team would lose. I didn't know what I would do if I saw you with a depressed expression like years ago in middle school." Your hand clenches the back of Tsukishima's shirt. The smell of sweat intermingles his usual cologne.

Tsukishima sighs, a smile forming on his face. You feel his body relax and a kiss pressing against the side of your head. "Well, you had nothing to be scared of. We won. I have you to thank for."

"Me?" You rustle in his hold, pulling away from his chest to look at him. Your chest tightens when you see how gentle Tsukishima looks at you. The small frown on his face makes your heart ache.

"I was worried you were upset at me because of yesterday and you bailed out on today. I couldn't focus much in today's games until you showed up." Tsukishima pauses before continuing. "Sorry about yesterday. I was..." Tsukishima knits his brows together, biting his lip. With a scrunched nose he speaks again. "I was jealous of Takinoue. He got to see you more than I have the entire week." Tsukishima lowers his eyes to your body. "He also touched the most fragile part of your body and it irritated me..."

The soft tone of Tsukishima makes you blush, your heart beating against your ribcage. A blush creeps over his face and a small smile etches onto yours when you notice his blushing state. "Heh, you're cute Kei." You whisper, not hiding the cheesy smile you're making towards him. Tsukishima pouts a bit, resting his gaze on your face. Your heart clenches when you see him pout. The adorable unexpected reaction makes you feel antsy.

Reaching towards his cheeks, you lower his face down, pressing your lips against his soft pink ones.

"OMG?!" A voice startles the two of you. Lowering your hands, you look at Tsukishima's hooded eyes before turning around. The two of you look to see Hinata with his jaw dropped. The others have apparently also seen the shared kiss. Your face quickly heats up. You weren't paying much attention to the area around you when you selfishly kissed Tsukishima in public.

"Well, this makes it easier for us." Tsukishima whispers above you. His hand rests on your shoulder and he pulls you closer to him. The blush on his face is no where to be seen when he glances over at your shared group of friends. "Y/N are dating if you weren't already aware." Tsukishima speaks bluntly. "So, don't get too friendly with her." Tsukishima directs his eyes towards Suga and Takinoue. Suga reacts with a smirk while Takinoue's jaw drops.

"Since when?!" Akiteru stammers out. Tsukishima lowers his eyes on Y/N's blushing face. His hand leaves from her shoulder, his fingers gently stroking her hair. "Since the beach vacation." Nishinoya gasps. "Why did you guys hide this from us for over a month?!"

"Why did we?" You ask Tsukishima who shrugs. "I'm not sure." Tsukishima mutters. "Who cares. Just make sure to not get too close to Y/N." His brows knit together, a scowl on his face.

"Congrats Y/N there's someone out there who's willing to love your overemotional behavior." Kageyama curtly says, a smirk on his face.

Your brows knit together and you clench your hand into a fist. "You jerk." Tsukishima lowers his hand when he sees Y/N lunging towards Kageyama. Kageyama grunts out 'fuck' before dashing away. The confession atmosphere drops and everyone congratulates the volleyball team for their win.

Yamaguchi returns to Tsukishima's side with a wide smile. "Looks like everything turned out nicely for everyone, right Tsukki?"

Tsukishima nods his head, watching Y/N kick Kageyama in the legs. With a grin he looks back at Yamaguchi. "Yeah. Tomorrow is another challenge. But we should celebrate todays win."

"We?" Yamaguchi raises an eyebrow. "Didn't you want to take Y/N out to explore Tokyo?" Tsukishima looks at the group of friends who came today to support them. "I'll take her out tomorrow. I'm sure she'll want to celebrate with everyone too." Yamaguchi nods his head, the two rejoining the large group.


	24. Late lunch

"This is so cool!" You squeal over the sushi conveyor belt. Tsukishima sits beside you, holding back the smile that's itching to grow on his face. Akiteru and Yamaguchi sit across from you two, tapping against the tablet to order different items that are not rotating along the belt. 

"You've never been to one of these restaurants before?" Nishinoya leans over in the booth behind you, staring at your sparkling expression. Shaking your head, you reach over for a salmon sushi. "When you rack up five plates, insert them in that slot there. You might have a chance to win something." Nishinoya points to the slot in the middle of the back wall of your table. 

"Have you won anything before Noya?" You look up to Nishinoya who shakes his head, a pout on his face. "Never. I feel like it's a scam." He sits back down in his seat, grabbing more plates of sushi. A whizzing sound comes from the top conveyor belt and it stops at your table.

"Oh wow, that was fast." Akiteru grins when he takes the bowls off of the tray and presses a button to send it back. Akiteru places a miso soup with clams in front of you and Tsukishima. You thank him before grabbing a spoon to drink the miso soup. "Are you enjoying yourself Y/N?" Tsukishima lowly speaks to you, taking a sip of his soup. You nod your head, smiling from ear to ear. 

"I'm sure my dad would enjoy this even more than I am." 

"Is your dad still working in construction?" Akiteru curiously asks you, taking a bite of his tuna sushi. You nod your head in response, chewing one of the clam pieces. The smile on your face falters a bit when you recall your dad. 

"He's getting older so I'm worried he'll hurt himself on the job. I've been working to help him but I'm sure he feels guilty." You swirl your spoon around in the bowl. Akiteru, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima silently look at you with sadden expressions. "It'd be nice if there was something I could do where he wouldn't have to work anymore." You force a smile on your face. "But, I have no talent or skill and I don't know what I want to do for a career." Exhaling, you quiet yourself by drinking the glass of water next to you. 

Akiteru glances over at Tsukishima, eyeing for him to cheer Y/N up. Tsukishima looks just as confused, he's unsure what to say. A jingle rings in the booth behind you and Nishinoya jumps up from his seat, leaning back over to your booth. "Y/N! LOOK!" 

"Hm?" You're pulled away from the gloomy conversation you created to look at the gachapon ball in Nishinoya's hand. "I ACTUALLY WON SOMETHING!" Nishinoya grins widely, popping open the capsule to reveal a sushi keychain. His brows furrow together when he sees the prize, feeling let down. "I ate ten plates of sushi to only get a sushi keychain as a prize?" 

"What did you think the prize would be? Money?" You playfully joke around with Nishinoya. "Yeah! That's better than this plastic thing. Here, you can have it." Nishinoya waves the keychain in front of you and you open your palm, feeling him drop it. A little egg sushi sits in your palm, a smile forming on your face. 

"Your lost Noya, this is really cute." You murmur to yourself, attaching the keychain onto your purse strap.

"Should we try to win something before leaving?" Akiteru looks at the gachapon machine above the conveyor belt. You beam at the idea, nodding your head. The four of you make small talk, focusing on eating as many plates as possible before your stomachs fill up. A total of 50 plates between the four of you pile onto the table. Akiteru and you slowly slide the plates in, watching the number go up and an animation play after every five plates. 

"We have 10 chances here." Yamaguchi whispers, looking anxious when he watches the little screen play an animation. After eight chances, the four of you have given up on the idea of winning a measly small prize.

A chime comes from the table behind Akiteru and Yamaguchi. Hinata pops up and shows off his gachapon ball. "Looks like the luck gods are on my side." Hinata grins, popping open his capsule that carries a salmon roe sushi. Tsukishima notices the competitive fire in your eyes, a small smile forms on his face. 

Akiteru continues to put the plates in while you glare at Hinata. Another loss plays on the screen. Exhaling, you lean back in the booth with a full stomach. You didn't care if you didn't win a prize anymore. What mattered most is the experience you got to have with everyone. 

"Want to put the last plate in Y/N?" Akiteru calls out to you, a smile on his face. Sitting up, you take the plate from him. "Here goes..." You press your lips together, sliding the plate in and darting your eyes up towards the screen. An anxious feeling looms over the table while the four of you watch the animation. You cover your eyes with your hands when you see the sad blue font words of a loss. 

Yamaguchi chuckles at Y/N's adorable reaction while Akiteru looks apologetic. Tsukishima bites his bottom lip, not wanting to laugh at her misery. "Did you want another sushi keychain Y/N? I'm sure we can get one at an arcade." Tsukishima calls out to you. Shaking your head, you lower your hands away from your eyes. "It's more exciting to win it here." You stare at the one Nishinoya gave you. "I'm fine with this one. It's cuter than Hinata's." 

As if Hinata heard you badmouth him, he pops up and grumbles at you. After the late lunch, everyone pays for the bill and file out of the restaurant. 

"What hotel are you guys staying at? We'll walk you there before splitting off." Daichi speaks up to Tsukishima and the others. Kageyama is the one to answer, telling Daichi the hotel name. The group starts to walk down the busy streets of Tokyo, making their way to the hotel. 

Walking next to Tsukishima, you nervously brush your knuckles against his. He looks at you from the corner of his eyes, lacing his fingers around yours. A blush creeps up onto your cheeks and a smile grows onto your face. You give his large hand a squeeze. It feels nice to hold his hands like this-- not in secret. 

"Sorry that it couldn't just be us today." Tsukishima speaks up, the two of you walking behind everyone. You shake your head, looking towards your group of friends. "It's okay. It's more fun with everyone here. Too bad we can't explore longer. You need to get your rest for tomorrows game." 

Tsukishima's heart skips from Y/N's kindness, an overwhelming feeling in his chest. He wants to be alone with her and shower her with kisses. It's been a long week for him to be away from Y/N and he ached having her to himself. Distracted in his own thoughts, he feels Y/N tug on his arm. "Kei? Are you listening to me?" You ask, noticing his distracted gaze. Tsukishima clears his throat, looking at you. "Sorry, what were you saying?" 

Sighing with a smile, you shake your head. "We need to hurry and get you back to your hotel room." You pull Tsukishima along to regroup up with the others. Tsukishima pulls you back gently, making you turn to look at him. 

"Tomorrow, I'd like it to be only us." Tsukishima says sternly, his brows furrowing together as he narrows his golden brown eyes on your face. 

"Did you want to do something in particular together?" You curiously ask him, a smile on your face. Tsukishima nods his head, eyes averting you. You raise an eyebrow from his reaction, noticing the pink in his cheeks. "Should I be worried?" 

"Why?" Tsukishima mutters out, still not looking at you. "You're blushing and you're not looking at me. Are you going to take us somewhere weird? If it's a maid café, we're bringing the others." You blurt out, squeezing Tsukishima's hand. 

"No, it's not that." Tsukishima curtly says. "It's somewhere only we can go." 

"Only we can go..." The two of you are pulled away from your conversation when you reach the entrance of his hotel. 

"We'll see you guys tomorrow morning. Get some rest and don't stay up late." Suga smiles at Hinata and Kageyama. You release your fingers from Tsukishima and gently push him towards the others. "Good night guys." You wave at the four, standing next to Suga. 

"Where are you guys sleeping at?" Hinata curiously asks. Suga pulls out his phone to show an Airbnb they've rented for tonight. Tsukishima feels nervous about the thought and Kiyoko swiftly stands next to you, pulling you close to her. "Y/L/N and I will share a room so you have nothing to worry about Tsukishima." Kiyoko speaks calmly towards Tsukishima. He tries to not look surprised when Kiyoko speaks to him. He quietly nods his head and a small smile forms on Kiyoko's face. 

Tanaka sulks at the thought but Nishinoya grins widely, placing his arm around Tanaka's shoulder. "Looks like it's just us guys again Tanaka. You can handle one night without Kiyoko." 

"We'll be leaving now." Akiteru calls out to Tsukishima, turning around and following after Daichi and Asahi. "Let's go Y/L/N." Kiyoko speaks next to you with a smile. You nod your head and wave one last time to Tsukishima before following her. Tsukishima quietly watches Y/N walk away, his chest tightening when he sees her leave with the others. Yamaguchi curiously looks at Tsukishima, a smirk on his face. "You want to go after her don't you Tsukki?" 

"What? No." Tsukishima lies between his clench teeth. 

"It's not too late to give her a hug goodbye." Yamaguchi teases Tsukishima, chuckling at him. Tsukishima grumbles, his legs already running after Y/N. His hand easily catches onto her wrist, turning her around. "Kei?!" You stammer out, feeling Tsukishima's chest push against your face. His strong arms tightly embrace you. He pulls away from you, nibbling his bottom lip. "Sorry. I just wanted to hug you before you left." Tsukishima softly whispers to you. "I'll see you tomorrow Y/N." 

You're unable to reply back when Kiyoko calls out to you. Tsukishima hurriedly runs back to Yamaguchi, hiding the blush on his cheeks. You giggle under your breath, smiling when you watch him run. Turning around, you hurry back over to Kiyoko's side.

_That Kei...he can be so cute at times._


	25. We're going where?!

The air in the gymnasium seems thicker than you remember. Kiyoko and you hold each other's hands tightly while you watch the finals. Karasuno successfully defeated their opponents in the semi finals-- a five match game. Now they're in the middle of their fifth match. Karasuno with two wins and Shiratorizawa with two as well. 

"Kiyoko can you just tell me if we win." Your words tremble from your lips, squeezing your eyes shut. Kiyoko quietly shakes her head, she's too anxious to watch too. The two of you both keep your eyes closed. 

Karasuno is two points away from winning while Shiratorizawa is one point away. Every player in the court wears an exhausted expression. Many are just moving on adrenaline while their legs feel like cement. 

"Man, do you remember how we felt at this moment Asahi?" Daichi speaks to Asahi next to you. Asahi nods his head, looking as if he's ready to puke. "I felt like the whole world was crushing on top of me but the drive for a win pushed me through." Asahi chuckles when he recalls the memory. Suga leans forward between the two. "We should root for them. They look like they're ready to pass out on us." 

Nishinoya and Tanaka are already screaming their throats out. "LET'S GO KARASUNO!!!!" Akiteru, Takinoue, and Shimada join in on the chanting. Kageyama swiftly dunks on the middle blockers which leads to a match point. 

"One more point!" Kiyoko exclaims next to you. You slowly peer open your eyes to look at the score. Anxiety litters your palms and Kiyoko squeezes your hand, noticing your nervousness. Your eyes focus on Tsukishima. His blonde stray hair sticks to his face from his sweat, cheeks red. His chest heaves up and down and he struggles to calm his rapid heart rate.

Furrowing your brows, you worry about his exhaustion. Playing ten games back to back must be incredibly taxing on his stamina. Kiyoko lets go of your hand, noticing your urge to walk over to the railing. You join in with the others, rooting for Karasuno. 

Yamaguchi takes a deep breath. This very serve he's going to make will determine a loss or win. The thought gives him a fright and he tries to calm himself by looking over at Tsukishima. Despite how exhausted Tsukishima is, he still stands proudly in the middle of the court.

"Let's win this." Yamaguchi mutters under his breath, running ahead and slowly tossing the ball up for a float jump. 

"SPREAD OUT!" Goshiki yells out to his teammates. 

The ball flies towards the back which is then received by Goshiki. "Chance ball!" He shouts to his second year. The setter, hits the ball up to which their first year middle blocker is the last one to touch. Tsukishima eyes the hand position on the middle blocker, gauging how and where he should block. 

Kageyama and Tsukishima both hurry over to the net, blocking the shot that's aimed towards the middle. Shiratorizawa quickly takes back control, attempting a second shot. This time they successfully avoid Tsukishima and Kageyama. Yamaguchi lunges forward, saving the ball from landing in the back. "KAGEYAMA!" Yamaguchi calls out. Kageyama's piercing eyes follow the ball while a team attack is in formation. Shiratorizawa is thrown off from the sudden attack. They were expecting Karasuno to end off with Kageyama and Hinata's combo move. 

With everyone at their limit, a flashy move like that wouldn't work right now. Especially at an emergency time like this with a single point leading to a win or loss. Everyone tirelessly fakes out a hit, causing a distraction to Shiratorizawa. Before they realize what is happening, Tsukishima's fingers touch the volleyball, sending a dunk. 

The first year middle blocker lunges for the ball but he's a few inches too short. The sound of the ball falling onto the wax wooden floor rings throughout the gymnasium. 

"T-They won." Nishinoya stammers out, his eyes wide. Everyone seems to be in a daze for a split second, erupting into applause when the sound of the whistle blows from the ref. He points over to the winning team which is Karasuno. 

Tsukishima tiredly smiles to himself when he processes they're the winners of the final match. His eyes glance over to the first year who's still laying on the ground, eyes wavering and tears brimming their eyes. The first year cries, slamming his fist on the floor.

Tsukishima averts his eyes, turning his feet slightly to walk away. But he stops himself, calling out to the first year. "Hey, don't start crying now. You'll have another chance next year." The first year wipes his tears away, looking up at Tsukishima. Tsukishima glances at the first year before joining his teammates in a huddle celebration. 

"NICE JOB TSUKKI!" Yamaguchi grins from ear to ear. Kageyama slaps Tsukishima hard in the back, a tired smile on his face. "Yeah. Good job." 

Coach Ukai and Takeda clap their hands together, grabbing their attention. "Let's go thank everyone for supporting us and we'll head out of here to celebrate!" 

"YES SIR!" The group answers in excitement, hurrying over to file in front of the audience. "THANK YOU FOR COMING!" The audience loudly congratulates everyone. Tsukishima is not surprised when he sees the tears running down Y/N's face. The corner of his lips curl up, his chest tightening. He points over to the door and Y/N nods her head. She excuses herself from the others and hurries out to meet with Tsukishima. 

"Have fun Tsukki." Yamaguchi speaks next to him, a smile on his face. "Where's he going?" Hinata curiously asks, seeing Tsukishima rush out of the gym. "He couldn't explore Tokyo alone with Y/N yesterday so they're doing it today." Yamaguchi answers, wiping the sweat off of his face. 

"Must be nice to have a girlfriend." Hinata pouts, crossing his arms. "Guess we'll just hang out with the others to celebrate our win." The pout quickly disappears into a smile on Hinata's face, he takes a head start and hurries out of the gym.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"How did I know you'll cry again today?" Tsukishima teases you when he finds you waiting off to the side in the crowded hallway. You sniffle, wiping the last remaining tear away from your cheek. 

"Shut up. I'm just really happy for you and the whole team." You lace your fingers with Tsukishima's slender ones. Tsukishima grins, ruffling your hair slightly as the two of you exit the building. "Should you rest up at the hotel? You must be tired Kei." You murmur under your breath, staring at him from the corner of your eye. "I'll be fine. Let's just swing by the hotel real quick so I can grab my things." 

Raising an eyebrow, you look up to Tsukishima. "Are you not riding back on the school bus?" 

Tsukishima shakes his head. "You and I are spending the night in Tokyo." You widen your eyes, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. "W-What do you mean Kei?" You feel the heat in your cheeks creep. 

A smug smirk plasters on Tsukishima's face. He leans over to rest his forehead on top of yours. "I mean exactly what I just said. We're spending the night here in Tokyo." 

"But how?" You timidly ask, staring at his golden brown eyes. Tsukishima hesitates to answer your question, his lips trembling. You watch his cheeks turn a shade pink, his eyes distant. Clearing his throat, he focuses his attention back to you. "What's one thing Tokyo has that Miyagi doesn't have?" Tsukishima asks you, straightening himself up. 

"You have to be more specific than that Kei. Tokyo has a lot of things Miyagi doesn't have." You purse your lips, squeezing his hand. "I guess you're right about that." He dryly chuckles, gently pulling you along so the two of you are back to walking towards his hotel. "It's another form of a hotel. This one specifically for couples." 

_Love hotel?!_

"Ah..." You squeak out, feeling your face flush. Tsukishima notices your nervous reaction, a smirk on his face. "W-Why are we spending the night there Kei?" 

"I'm sure you know why." Tsukishima slyly replies, a dry chuckle escapes from his lips. "Pervert." You pull your hand away from him. Tsukishima bites his inner cheek, not wanting to blush from Y/N's comment. 

"You're the pervert. People go there for other things too." Tsukishima grumbles out, his heart racing. "They have really interesting themed rooms. I figured it'll be a new experience for us to remember...and if things lead to something else, I'm not going to complain." 

"Of course you wouldn't!" You shyly retort, your heart hammers against your chest at the thought of seeing Tsukishima shirtless again. You didn't get a good look during the beach vacation from the emotional rollercoaster between you, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi. This time the two of you will be in a more intimate scene. 

_Just the two of you._

Lewd thoughts of Tsukishima float in your mind. You start to envision his lustful expression and grunts. Slapping your face, you startle Tsukishima who walks beside you. He sees the tip of your ears redden. "What are you imagining Y/N? I'm sure whatever you're planning in your head won't happen." Tsukishima snickers, turning the corner towards the hotel. 

"N-NOTHING." You blurt out, feeling the heat in your cheeks radiate against your fingertips. The two of you arrive in front of his hotel and you insist Tsukishima that you'll wait in the lobby while he gets his things. 

"Don't wander off. I'll be back in less than five minutes." Tsukishima glances at you before hurrying over to the elevators. You sit down in one of the sofas that fill the lobby. Your hand clenches the ends of your pleated skirt. 

The thing Tsukishima planned was for you two to spend a night in a love hotel. The thought made you nervous and excited all at once. Closing your eyes to calm your racing heart, your imagination takes a turn. You start to envision Tsukishima shirtless and sweaty, his husky tone grunting out. 

"AGH." You scream into your palms. Flushing red all over again.


	26. Love hotel

The two of you enter the lobby of the love hotel. Making the experience as anonymous and private as possible, there's no human interaction. Everything is being interacted from the tablet screen in front of Tsukishima. He inputs his four digit code provided to him from the email last night when he reserved a room for an entire night over the few hours option.

You cling onto Tsukishima's arm nervously. The temperature in the lobby is freezing and you feel like you're doing something you shouldn't be. Despite being an adult and being in the company of Tsukishima.

"Please follow me this way." A talking robot announces behind you. You startle from the sudden voice and Tsukishima snickers at you. 

"Are you that nervous Y/N?" Tsukishima strokes the top of your head before pulling you along after the robot attendant. The three of you enter an elevator and it asks for either of you to press the second floor. You extend your hand out and press your finger against the #2 button. The two of you curiously stare at the circular shaped head robot. The elevator halts and the door opens, you both wait for the robot to exit first before leaving the elevator. 

It takes you two down a long hallway, stopping at one of the doors. The robot turns around and a tray ejects out from it's stomach, showing you two the key to your room. "Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, just order through the tablet in the room and I will be right over." A cute happy eyes emoji blinks onto the robots "eyes" screen. You step aside and watch the robot zoom back towards the elevator, resting under the buttons to call for an elevator. 

Tsukishima inserts the card key into the slot and a green light flashes. He presses the handle down and the two of you step inside. You're surprised by how adorable the room looks. You feel like you've stepped inside a princess's bedroom with the amount of pink and lace that decors the room. 

"Wow..." Your words escape you when you place your backpack down in the entrance, taking off your shoes and sliding them into the slippers that are provided. Tsukishima smiles when he sees Y/N's nervousness dissipate. Your eyes sparkle when you open a glass door that leads to the bathroom. The bathroom is much larger than the one back at home. "Kei, there's a whirlpool bath in here!" You sit on the edge of the bath, staring at the different kinds of items that line up in a shelf. Varying types of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

Standing up, you walk over to the sink counter to see more products nicely packaged and lined up. Tsukishima appears in the bathroom and walks over to you, his hand reaching towards a tray. 

"There's enough condoms for a month in here." Tsukishima shifts through the varying wrapped condoms. Each one a different color. Your face flushes and you grab the tray from Tsukishima, placing it back onto the sink counter. "You don't need any of that." You mumble shyly. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow, a devilish smirk on his face. 

"I don't? Do you like it raw-" 

"ACK." You cover Tsukishima's mouth with your palm, brows knitting together. "You should know I'm a virgin, idiot. Obviously I don't know how I like it." Tsukishima slowly pulls your hand away, his smirk still plastering on his face. 

"I'm just teasing." He chuckles, following you out of the bathroom to look at the rest of the room. A bed lays in the middle of the room. Strings of flowers and fairy lights hang down from the ceiling, circling the bed. A thin pink voile curtain drapes under the flower/light strings. The bedsheets a beautiful lace pattern with a baby pink comforter draped on top.

Tsukishima walks over to one of the night stands, picking up a remote. He starts to press the different buttons that control the lights in the room. The room lights dim into a sultry atmosphere. Your heart starts to waver when you notice the change in mood just by the lighting change. Tsukishima presses another button that turns on the fairy lights, it begins to slowly twinkle. 

"Oh wow." You gaze at the bed noticing how illuminating it looks now. Pulling the curtain to the side, you sit on the edge of the bed. "I feel like a princess just sitting on this bed." A smile forms on your face when you stare at the twinkling lights. 

Tsukishima's heart skips when he sees the lights twinkling in Y/N's eyes and the gentle smile she wears. He lifts the curtain over him and sits next to you. "Did you find the tablet that little robot was talking about?" You look around you, noticing a tablet on the other night stand. Standing up, you step out of the curtain to grab the tablet and rejoin to Tsukishima's side. You place the tablet between the two of you and notice the different options. 

**'Food, entertainment, costumes, necessities.'**

"Costumes?" You read the option aloud. Glancing over at Tsukishima with a smirk. He scrunches his nose when he notices the gleaming look in your eyes. "I am not dressing up. You can't make me." Tsukishima shuts you down. Exhaling, you tap on the option anyway. 

"You're no fun Kei." Pouting, the first thing you see are girls in different lingerie. The heat in your cheeks creep back up and you tense beside Tsukishima. "Actually, let's not look." You mumble out, tapping the back button. Tsukishima is amused by your reaction and taps on the costumes again. "Why not? We're here. Might as well see what others are getting into." Tsukishima smirks at you. Pursing your lips, you lower your eyes back to the tablet. The blush on your face doesn't seem to settle down and you question how Tsukishima is so calm right now. 

"Why are you not getting flustered Kei..." Pouting you stare at the different color variations of school uniforms on the list. 

"You should know I don't express my emotions much." Tsukishima curtly replies. His eyes staring at the school uniform. Exhaling next to him, you cross your arms. 

"It's not fair that I'm the only one getting frustrated about this. It makes me feel like you've done this before." You speak softly, looking away from the tablet. Tsukishima notices your sadden tone and places the tablet to the side to focus on you. Tsukishima pushes your head towards his chest, your ear resting over his heart. The rapid beat of his heart pounds in your ear. 

"I'm nervous too Y/N." Tsukishima whispers above you, his arms wrapping around your waist. The tips of your ears redden when you hear his low voice and rapid heartbeat. "I'm just too stubborn to show you how nervous I look." 

Tsukishima pulls away to kiss your nose. "I'm also..." His golden brown eyes downcast for a split second before he looks back at you. "...a virgin. So, I don't know much about things like this either." He scrunches his nose, frowning for saying something so embarrassing. A glare reflects over Tsukishima's glasses when he lowers his eyes. You feel your chest tighten when you listen to his honesty. 

Shyly, you inch forward to kiss Tsukishima on the lips. The action startles him, his eyes widening when he looks at you speechless. "Thank you for being honest with me Kei." The corner of your lips turn upward, your eyes gentle when you look at him. Tsukishima presses his lips together, a blush casting over his face. 

He tries to suppress the smile that wants to creep onto his face. Tsukishima grabs the tablet and hands it over to you. Taking the tablet, you scroll through the several pages of costumes. "Say, Kei?" Tsukishima looks at Y/N silently, the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his eardrums. "Yeah?" 

Biting your lower lip, you look over to Tsukishima. "Would you like to see me in one of these outfits?" You point at the tablet. Tsukishima adorably looks away, his hands clenching onto the comforter. "I'm sure you've had to imagine me last night when you booked this room." You speak in a teasing tone, trying to lighten up the tense mood. 

The tip of Tsukishima's ears redden and his eyes waver.

_Y/N isn't wrong._

When he scrolled through the different themed love hotel rooms last night, he had Y/N in mind.

_Which one would she prefer?_

_Is the room theme too weird?_

_Maybe he should go for a normal looking room instead of a specific themed one?_

As he scrolls through the different categories, he fantasized about Y/N dressing according to each room. He finalized his decision with a princess themed room.

_Because to him, Y/N is a princess. His princess to be exact._

You pinch his cheek, getting his attention. "What are you thinking about Kei?" You softly giggle when you see his flushing face. Tsukishima clears his throat, turning to look at you. "That you make me soft, Y/N." 

"Do you hate it?" 

Tsukishima pauses before he can answer. The smile on your face widens when you take his silence as a no. "No, I don't. I just...I hate how weak I look in front of you." Tsukishima furrows his brows together, a scowl on his face. Carefully, you grab hold of Tsukishima's hand. Giving his hand a squeeze, you look at his dimly lit side profile. 

"It's okay for you to lower your guard around me Kei. It's just the two of us. Let me see your every emotion. I'll love your vulnerable side just as much as your arrogant smug self." Y/N's words pierce through Tsukishima's wavering heart. His heart strings pulled and aching from her sweet honey like words. 

Turning to look at Y/N, Tsukishima envelopes her small frame, lowering the two on the bed. "You have no idea how much I love you Y/N." Tsukishima's words quiver from his lips, his arms tighten Y/N closer to him. "I don't think you can possibly understand how much I care about you." Your mind blanks out when you hear Tsukishima's confession for you. "I didn't want to scare you off by spilling out my emotions but you said you'll love this side of me, right?" 

You quietly nod your head against his chest, hearing a relieved exhale against the top of your head. "I can go on and on tonight about my emotions but, I think we should have a little bit of fun before that." Tsukishima's tone changes into something more confident and mischievous when he pulls away from you.

His fingers gingerly stroke the top of your head and he tucks a few loose hairs behind your ears, a smile on his face. The gentle way Tsukishima stares at you makes your heart skip. The warmness of the room light cast behind him, giving him this mysterious shadow look. 

"There's an outfit I'd like you to try on." Tsukishima whispers, his fingertips stroking your cheek. "Would it be okay if you wore a princess style babydoll lingerie?" You blush from Tsukishima's suggestion. "Did you look up that specific style last night?" Tsukishima nibbles his bottom lip, shyly nodding his head. 

"I couldn't stop imagining you in one." He continues to stroke your cheek, blushing. "Sorry for being a pervert." Tsukishima sticks his tongue out. Your eyes widen from how adorable he's being in front of you. Never in your life did you imagine this side of him. Someone who you thought could only arrogantly smirk or frown. 

"How can I make fun of you when you're being so cute." You grumble, lowering your eyes. Tsukishima smirks, lifting your chin up to kiss you. Closing your eyes, you melt into the kiss. He slowly and carefully deepens the kiss. You try to keep up but with every kiss, your breath is taken away. 

Tsukishima painfully pulls away a minute later to catch his breath. The two share the same lustful eyes. "Should we put an order in for the lingerie you've been thinking about?" You softly tease Tsukishima. He sits up and reaches over for the tablet, filtering through the categories and selecting one of the pieces. He also sneaks in something else before checking out. 

"I wonder if that robot is their mascot." Tsukishima murmurs, lowering the tablet down to show you. A cute animated version of the robot pops up on the screen to instruct the two of you that they'll be on their way with the purchases. Instructions are on the screen saying to wait for a second knock before opening the door. Human assistance is needed when a customer orders and because the robot lacks hands, a live person will package the things onto a tray and send it off on one of the robots in each hallway.

"This is more high tech than I imagined." You say astonished. Tsukishima nods next to you, extending his hand over to the nightstand to place the tablet away. "Should we continue looking around the room while we wait?" Tsukishima stares at the closet and you eye the dresser across the bed. The two of you curiously look around the room awaiting the robots visit.


	27. Princess for the night

Nervously looking at your reflection in the mirror, your face reddens like a tomato. The pink babydoll is sheer past the breast cups, the ends stopping just under your butt cheeks.

Your eyes wander down to the scar that's across your abs. Tsukishima's seen the scar once before but you're still insecure about it.

A soft knock rings against the bathroom door. "Are you okay in there Y/N?"

"Um...I'm okay." You nervously stammer out, taking one last look at yourself before opening the door slightly. "Don't make fun of me if I look weird, okay?" Furrowing your brows and scrunching your nose, you narrow your eyes on Tsukishima. He responds with a smile, placing his hand against the door to push it open.

"I'm sure you're just overreacting. How could you look weird?" Tsukishima speaks softly. You step back from the opening door and avert your eyes down, clasping your hands together to squeeze the anxiety that litters your palms. Tsukishima's breath hitches when he looks at Y/N from head to toe. He didn't expect the babydoll to be sheer but he's not complaining. The lingerie suits her perfectly. A blush streaks across his face and he nervously adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

His fingers gently stroke your hair, holding onto the tips of your hair for a brief second longer. "Now you're dressed the part." Tsukishima smiles, his eyes gentle when he looks at your heated face. He leans over to press a kiss to your forehead. "You look cute Y/N. Fit for the part of a princess." Your hands fly towards your eyes, feeling overwhelmed by your emotions and Tsukishima's sweet words. "I still can't believe you're Kei."

A low chuckle rumbles out of Tsukishima's throat. He wraps his large hands around your small wrists, pulling your hands away from your redden face. "Get used to it Y/N." He mumbles, a shy expression on his face. Tsukishima carefully pulls you towards the bed and you notice a box that lays there.

"What's that?" You ask curiously. "You'll find out later." Tsukishima smirks as he slowly lays your back against the bed, his tall frame traps you under him.

You eye his arms that are on each side of your head, his legs also on each side of your hips.

_You're under Tsukishima Kei._

The thought makes your throat dry and you have no where to look but up.

**At him.**

Tsukishima feels his heart hammering against his chest. The way Y/N innocently stares at him drives his hormones insane. He wants to smother her with affection but being hers and his first time, it's best to take things slow. Holding back his aching need to pounce on her, Tsukishima gulps.

You watch Tsukishima's Adam apple bob down and up on his throat. Something about the way he is holding back for you is arousing. His eyes are glossing over with frustration but he's holding back probably for your sake.

"Kei, are you just going to stare at me all night?" You speak up, a teasing tone. Extending your hand up, you place your hand on the back of his head. You push his face closer to yours. Nervously, you make the first move. Your lips catch his, slowly kissing his soft pink lips. Your fingers then run through his blonde hair and you feel Tsukishima tense from your touch.

He's hesitant to kiss Y/N back at first. His mind slowly processing what's going on. Y/N's kisses on him deepens, her free hand clenching onto his shirt. Tsukishima notices her furrowed brows of impatience. Smirking, Tsukishima closes his eyes and returns her kiss hungrily. He leans majority of his weight on one arm while the other slowly strokes her left leg. His heart rate picks up when his hand strokes her inner thigh. 

A moan squeaks out from your lips when you feel Tsukishima's hand close in closer to your intimate area. You blush from the noise you make, fluttering your eyes open. Tsukishima's devilish grin reflects in your eyes, your heart skipping at how handsome he looks. 

"That was cute." Tsukishima murmurs, kissing the nape of your neck. You tense up from the change of kiss location, your body incredibly weak to Tsukishima's actions. He spoils you with his patience and lips. Soft smacking sounds fill your ears when he kisses and sucks your exposed skin. Tsukishima trails his lips up to your ear, he nervously flicks his tongue against the inner part of your ear. The sensation unknown to you. Squirming underneath Tsukishima, you bite your bottom lip.

"Is this spot sensitive for you Y/N?" Tsukishima's husky voice grumbles into your ear, his tongue violating the area. Bubbles of moans tremble out of your throat, the sound satisfying Tsukishima. Your mind blanks out with the only thought of Tsukishima. It's unfair that he gets to pull these kinds of reactions out from you. 

Not wanting him to be the only one to toy with you, you sum up the courage to extend your hand down towards his jeans. You startle when you feel a bulge underneath his denim jeans. Tsukishima is taken aback when he feels Y/N's hand on his hardon. A deep grunt echoes in your ear. The sound makes your lower region ache. 

Your eyes waver when you recall your imagination of seeing Tsukishima groan. You want to hear him call out your name. With a new surge of frustration and confidence, you turn the tables around. Mustering all your strength you pull Tsukishima down on the bed, his body lightly hits against the bed. His eyes widen slightly when he sees you straddling on top of him. You feel his bulge twitch underneath you as you sit over top of it. A blush streaks across both of your faces. "Do you know what you're doing Y/N?" Tsukishima shyly mutters out, his eyes wavers when he looks up at you. 

"Sitting on my throne?" You playfully respond, winking. You mentally cringe from your words but seeing Tsukishima softly chuckle makes it worth it. Your hands reach for the hem of his shirt, slowly you lift his shirt up and Tsukishima helps you take it off. Seeing his bare chest makes your heart throb. Nervously, you stroke your hands against his muscular abs. You wouldn't think Tsukishima had these abs with how lanky he looks. 

Tsukishima nibbles his bottom lip, his cheeks heating up when he watches Y/N gaze at his chest. Her playful expression earlier switches off and he sees the lust in her hooded eyes. His buldge twitches under her heat. 

A frown etches on her face. "I'm getting so frustrated and turned on because of you Kei." Tsukishima is unsure how to respond, his eyes just watch Y/N. She lowers her face down, kissing his pecks and slowly making her way lower. His breath sharpens and his chest tightens when he sees her kissing closer to his bulge. Tsukishima extends his hand to stop her but she shakes her head, using one hand to hold his extended hand down. 

"Let me have my fun Kei." She sternly speaks up, glaring at him with glossed over eyes. Her fingers unbuckle his belt and unloosens the button that holds his jeans together. The sound of her unzipping his jeans is barely heard from the pounding of his heart in his eardrums. Tsukishima's breathing is rough when he watches Y/N take things under her control. Her confidence shakes up a bit when she realizes she's in so far with her actions. Nibbling her bottom lip, she takes his length out from the slit of his boxers. Her expression flickers from being afraid to surprised. Tsukishima starts to feel shy, averting his eyes to the side. 

Her soft fingertips against his member is enough to make him ejaculate. Tsukishima loses himself when he feels the tip of Y/N's tongue nervously taste him. Clenching his teeth together, a grunt slips through. 

You look up to see Tsukishima try his best to hold back his voice. You furrow your brows together, unhappy to see him hold back an arousing sound. Pushing past your nervousness, you glide your tongue up and down his shaft. 

"Agh..." Tsukishima looks like he's in pain from muting his own moans. Not wanting him to swallow his own voice, you continue to tease him. Your tongue flicks against the rim, your hand slowly strokes his length. "Let me hear you Kei." You whimper out, your lips pressing several kisses on the tip of his member. Tsukishima loses it completely from your constant teasing, his eyes opening to glare at you. 

"Fuck you Y/N." He manages to grumble out his words, moans filtering between each word when you continue to tease his sensitive part. A devilish smirk plasters on your face, a glimmer in your eyes. "That's not a nice thing to say to the one who's in control Kei." Taunting him, you lower your eyes to his length. Mustering enough courage, you lower your head, wrapping your lips around the head. Your tongue swirls around the rim again and the sudden taste of saltiness invades your mouth. Squeezing your eyes shut, you endure the unusual flavor. Unsure where to go from here, you start to stroke him with your hand while your mouth busily sucks his throbbing member.

Tsukishima gives in to Y/N. He no longer clenches his teeth together, becoming a moaning mess. His eyes focus on her and he's in disbelief with everything happening right now. Y/N and him are sharing an intimate moment. Something he's had brief imaginations of but he felt wrong to think of his childhood friend in that way. 

He reminiscences his younger teenager years in middle school where he'd have lewd thoughts of Y/N. His stubborn, clumsy, overemotional, and beautiful childhood friend making raw love to him. To think a few years later, his fantasies are being fulfilled. 

Tsukishima bites his bottom lip, his hand strokes Y/N's hair. "Y/N." His voice trembles when he calls out to her. Her e/c (eye color) eyes, flick up to him, the stare so lustful and arousing. "Let me pleasure you too." 

Your heart skips when you hear Tsukishima's aching voice. Slowly pulling your mouth away from his sensitive length, you wipe the saliva from your lips. "Not until you're whimpering out my name Kei." Your eyes pierce towards his glossy golden brown eyes. Tsukishima frowns from your response, his reaction absolutely adorable. His glasses droop down his nose bridge and his face is completely red. The sweat on his head makes his hair stick against his forehead. 

"I'll be sure to say your name when we reach our high together." Tsukishima slowly sits up, reaching for your arm to pull you towards him on his lap. His lips clashes against yours and your confidence dissipates. 

_You're wrapped around his finger again._

Tsukishima pulls away and reaches over for the box you mentioned earlier. He hands you the box which you take. Opening the lid you see a vibrator wand. Face flushing, you look at Tsukishima. "What is this for?" 

"For you, obviously." The corner of Tsukishima's lips curl up, he presses a kiss to your nose. "I also want to hear you moaning my name Y/N. To make sure that absolutely happens, I'm making sure you get double the pleasure."


	28. Forever? Forever.

"D-Double?!" You frantically speak aloud. Tsukishima grabs the vibrator out of the box, turning it on to show you the vibration. You grow nervous again when you see the item vibrate in Tsukishima's hand.

"This will distract you from the pain." Tsukishima murmurs. He gently lays you down, spreading your legs apart. "If I'm hurting you too much, tell me Y/N." Tsukishima sternly says to you, handing you the vibrator. Tsukishima trails a kiss from your jawline down to your breasts. You tense when he starts to reach your abs.

Tsukishima eyes your nervousness, guiding the vibrator down to your clit. His hand gently pushes the vibrator against your swollen clit which soon takes your attention away from him. You're experiencing something out of your usual norm again when you hold onto the vibrator.

Tsukishima softens his gaze when he looks at Y/N's large scar, his fingers grazing against the area from the babydoll. He slips his hand underneath the babydoll. Gently, his fingertips touch Y/N's supple skin. She jolts from his touch and the constant rumble of the vibrator. He smiles from how obedient Y/N is. She has the ability to remove the vibrator away from her clit but she chooses not to.

Taking the chance Tsukishima kisses her abs, he then lifts his head towards her inner thighs. His eyes notice how swollen her outer lips are against the thong that's completely soaked. A devilish smirk forms on his face when he makes his way towards her sensitive spot.

Y/N squeaks out a moan when she feels Tsukishima's lips on her throbbing region. He carefully pulls the thong to the side, sliding his tongue inside of her. Her walls quickly tighten against his tongue. The two of them both reach further into arousal. Tsukishima rests both of his hands on her thighs, spreading her legs wide apart. His tongue explores her insides. Her taste lathers his tongue and he feels Y/N weakly closing her legs up. The amount of pleasure from his tongue and the vibrator making her reach closer to her high.

Y/N's toes curl and her mind blanks out. Tsukishima slowly pulls his tongue out of her tight walls, his length aching to be inside of her. His eyes flick over to the nightstand where several kinds of condoms sit in a tray. Randomly picking one, he rips the packaging open and inserts the condom over his length. "Tell me if it hurts Y/N." Tsukishima says between heavy breaths, he slowly begins to insert himself inside of her tightness.

Your brows furrow together and you start to feel scared. You saw how long Tsukishima's length is and you fear that he'll break you in half. Not like that is possible, but still. Calming yourself, you close your eyes and focus on the sensation of the vibrator against your clit. You start to feel a stinging pain when Tsukishima deepens himself in you. The fear of being ripped open lurks in your mind when you feel a jolt of pain down below. Biting your bottom lip hard, you taste the metallic flavor of blood. You didn't want to ruin the mood by complaining about the pain. You feel the gentle touch of Tsukishima's fingers against your cheek. "Are you hurting?" Tsukishima frowns when you open your eyes.

"Just a little. I can handle it though." You plaster on a smile, which somewhat eases Tsukishima's nerves. "I'm sure the pain will go away when you start to thrust in me Kei." You shyly say your next sentence, feeling your face redden for the hundredth time tonight. Tsukishima gulps, his cheeks also heating up. He quietly nods his head and starts to slowly thrust in you. Your brows furrow again and you feel pain.

You mentally try to focus on the pleasure, pushing the thought of pain out of your head. It takes a minute before you start to feel a wave of pleasure. Tsukishima notices your brows relaxing and he relaxes his stiff shoulders. A smile etches on his face when he watches Y/N part her lips, the sweet sounds of her moans filling up the room.

Tsukishima starts to quicken his thrust, nibbling his bottom lip. His sweat drips over your chest and you flutter your eyes open to look at him. When Tsukishima notices Y/N's sexual stare, his heart skips. He exhales, "I think I'm falling deeper in love for you Y/N." Tsukishima grunts out.

Your chest tightens and you smile from his sweet words. "I mean...you're in really deep Kei." Tsukishima chuckles from Y/N's play on words. "Shut up. You know what I'm trying to say." 

Giggling, you extend your hand up to remove his glasses. Seeing his bare face makes your heart skip. His scrunched up expression, rock hard abs, his length slamming inside of your small frame, and the vibrator against your clit is enough to make you reach your high. "K-Kei." You start to bubble out Tsukishima's name, your arms wrapping around his sweaty back, the vibrator tossed to the side.

Tsukishima feels Y/N's inner walls tighten around his length, the feeling easily making him reach his high. "Fuck." Tsukishima grunts out. With each thrust, Y/N screams out his name. Her voice a melody he didn't want to stop hearing. Tsukishima himself begins to chant Y/N's name when he slams his length against her. That very last thrust sends the two into a frenzy. Y/N digs her nails across Tsukishima's back.

The two moaning and grunting. "I-I love you so much Kei." Y/N cries out. Tsukishima melts when he hears Y/N confess her love for him, slowly pulling his length out of her after ejaculating into the condom. He tiredly takes the condom off and places it on top of the ripped open package on the floor. Tsukishima fixes his boxers and jeans before laying back down next to Y/N. 

You're completely worn out and you feel the heavy weight of your body. The scent of Tsukishima wafts towards your nose when you feel him lay next to you. Fluttering your eyes open, you startle when you see the corner of his eyes tear up. 

"Hey..." Your words tremble out. You extend your hand towards his face, wiping away the tear with your thumb. "Why are you crying Kei? Did you get hurt somewhere?" Your brows knit together when you frown. 

Tsukishima shakes his head side to side, pulling you close to him. "I'm just really happy Y/N." Tsukishima's voice muffles in your hair, your forehead resting on his shoulder. He gently strokes the back of your head, exhaling slowly. "Hearing you say you love me made me more emotional than I expected." A dry chuckle rumbles from Tsukishima's throat. 

Your heart strings pull from Tsukishima's words. You wrap your arms around Tsukishima's waist, tightening your hold on him. "Should I say it again? I love you Kei." Your cheek heats up when you repeat your words in a more focused mindset. Tsukishima squeezes you when he hears you. "Say it again." He murmurs. Hearing his soft tone, you smile from ear to ear. "I love you Kei. I love you. I love you. I love you."

Tsukishima wears a gentle smile when he hears Y/N's undying confession. A chuckle escaping his lips. "It's only fair if you say it back Kei." You pout under his hold. Tsukishima pulls away, his honey brown eyes staring directly at you. "I love you Y/N, always and forever." Your eyes widen when you stare at Tsukishima's loving expression. "Will you be with me forever?" He asks.

Your words are stuck in your throat when you see Tsukishima's shy expression, his eyes nervously downcast. The red in his cheeks and his tight-knit brows makes him look so innocent.

_Where did the smug guy you've known for 12 years go?_

"Forever?" You softly repeat. Tsukishima nods his head. 

"Forever." 

"Are you asking for my hand in marriage then?" You joke. Tsukishima however doesn't wear a hint of playfulness in his face. He looks at you with a serious gaze. Noticing his expression, your heart starts to skip. "I-I'm just messing around Kei. Don't look at me with such a serious expression." 

Tsukishima seems to be in deep thought when he listens to you. His lips part slightly to answer your question. "When I said forever, I meant it Y/N. Just give me a few months to save up for a ring. I'll propose to you in a way you want me to. Since I always seem to ruin your expectations. From the way I asked you out to our first date." Tsukishima smirks, eyeing your blushing face. 

"W-Wait. Did I hear you right? You..." Your words trail off and you're still stuck on the fact that Tsukishima wants to propose to you. Tsukishima closes his eyes, kissing your lips ever so sweetly. 

"I love you Y/N. I'm not letting you run away from me anymore. So I'm tying you down with me in marriage whether you like it or not." Tsukishima lightly bites your lip before pulling away to see your stunned expression. 

"I think I know what I want to do with my future now." You whisper, looking directly at Tsukishima's golden brown eyes. "What's that?" Tsukishima smiles, tucking your messy hair behind your ear. 

"Be your future wife, idiot." Smirking, you pinch his nose. "I'll have to think seriously about my career to help dad but..." 

"Don't worry about him. I'll handle it." Tsukishima speaks confidently. "I'll be sure to spoil you and your dad when I make it big in a national volleyball team." The smile on Tsukishima's face relieves you of all your worries. Your heart is full and your chest is warm. The corner of your eyes start to tear up and you hide your face in Tsukishima's shoulder. 

"I love you so much Kei." You whimper out. Tsukishima tightens his hold on you, stroking your hair with a smile. 

"And I love you, Y/N." 

\- - - -

& this is the end of **𝐿𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝐵𝑒**

I cannot believe I've been pushing out so many different stories lately. I'm also super happy I didn't give up halfway through. I had writers block for a moment and it made me worry that I would leave you guys off with an unfinished story.

BUT, WE DID IT!

I felt incredibly guilty not giving Tsukishima a happy ending in my other story ' **Ready. Set. LOVE.** ' so I dedicate this entire story to him.

I want to thank **YOU** for reading my story, commenting, and rating it. I'm ever so grateful when I read your comments.

Your feedback is one of the biggest reasons I push through and I just want to thank you for giving me your time. 

I do have a few ideas on the next story and I hope you will support the next story whenever it arrives!

\- cutesight


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